The finance ministry has sought from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Rs 27,380 crore that was withheld by the central bank <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/govt-wants-policy-on-how-much-cash-reserve-rbi-should-have-board-member-s-gurumurthy-177590">towards risks and reserves</a> in previous years, sources have said.

The RBI had retained Rs 13,190 crore towards risks and reserves in 2016-17. It increased to Rs 14,190 crore in 2017-18. Together, the&nbsp;retained amount is Rs 27,380 crore.

The ministry has requested the RBI to provide an interim surplus for the current fiscal on the analogy of the previous financial year and transfer the amount withheld from the surplus of 2016-17 and 2017-18, sources said.

Earlier this month, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had said the government expects Rs 28,000 crore from the RBI as interim dividend during the current fiscal.

The RBI, which follows July-June financial year, has already transferred Rs 40,000 crore in the current fiscal.

If the central board of the RBI approves the transfer of Rs 28,000 crore requested by the government as interim dividend for the current fiscal, the total surplus transfer by the central bank would be Rs 68,000 crore in 2018-19.

According to sources, the government expects Rs 69,000 crore dividend in the next financial year.

The government has projected to mobilise Rs 82,911.56 crore as dividend or surplus from the RBI, nationalised banks and financial institutions during 2019-20.

After making provision for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets, contribution to staff and superannuation fund and for all matters for which the provision is to be made by or under the Act or which are usually provided by bankers, the balance of the profits shall be paid to the central government, as per the RBI Act.

The finance ministry has sought from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Rs 27,380 crore that was withheld by the central bank towards risks and reserves in previous years, sources have said.

The finance ministry has sought from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Rs 27,380 crore that was withheld by the central bank towards risks and reserves in previous years, sources have said. The RBI had retained Rs 13,190 crore towards risks and reserves in 2016-17. It increased to Rs 14,190 crore in 2017-18. Together, the retained amount is Rs 27,380 crore. The ministry has requested the RBI to provide an interim surplus for the current fiscal on the analogy of the previous financial year and transfer the amount withheld from the surplus of 2016-17 and 2017-18, sources said. Earlier this month, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had said the government expects Rs 28,000 crore from the RBI as interim dividend during the current fiscal. The RBI, which follows July-June financial year, has already transferred Rs 40,000 crore in the current fiscal. If the central board of the RBI approves the transfer of Rs 28,000 crore requested by the government as interim dividend for the current fiscal, the total surplus transfer by the central bank would be Rs 68,000 crore in 2018-19. According to sources, the government expects Rs 69,000 crore dividend in the next financial year. The government has projected to mobilise Rs 82,911.56 crore as dividend or surplus from the RBI, nationalised banks and financial institutions during 2019-20. After making provision for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets, contribution to staff and superannuation fund and for all matters for which the provision is to be made by or under the Act or which are usually provided by bankers, the balance of the profits shall be paid to the central government, as per the RBI Act.

Government asks Reserve Bank of India for Rs 27,380 crore: Sources

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-tells-bengal-government-to-initiate-disciplinary-proceedings-against-kolkata-police-chief-195345">Centre tells </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-tells-bengal-government-to-initiate-disciplinary-proceedings-against-kolkata-police-chief-195345">Bengal</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-tells-bengal-government-to-initiate-disciplinary-proceedings-against-kolkata-police-chief-195345"> government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief</a>

The Centre has told the West Bengal government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar.&nbsp;

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs told the Bengal government Tuesday that Kumar had sat in on the dharna with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — and that that was in contravention of the All India Services (Conduct) rules, 1968 and All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/yogi-adityanath-holds-rally-in-purulia-after-reaching-west-bengal-by-road-slams-mamata-for-protecting-corrupt-officer-195333">Nothing more shameful than a CM sitting on dharna: Yogi Adityanath in Bengal</a>

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath managed to reach Purulia, West Bengal from Bokaro, Jharkhand by road today after being denied permission to enter the state via a helicopter.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/government-expects-963-billion-in-dividend-from-rbi-in-upcoming-financial-year-195311">Government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/government-expects-963-billion-in-dividend-from-rbi-in-upcoming-financial-year-195311"> expects 690 billion rupees in dividend from RBI </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/government-expects-963-billion-in-dividend-from-rbi-in-upcoming-financial-year-195311">in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/government-expects-963-billion-in-dividend-from-rbi-in-upcoming-financial-year-195311">coming</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/government-expects-963-billion-in-dividend-from-rbi-in-upcoming-financial-year-195311"> financial year</a>

The Indian government expects the central bank to pay a dividend of 690 billion rupees ($9.63 billion) in the next financial year beginning April 2019, a senior finance ministry source, who requested anonymity, told reporters on Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-holds-historic-public-mass-in-uae-195298">Francis holds first mass by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-holds-historic-public-mass-in-uae-195298">pope</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-holds-historic-public-mass-in-uae-195298"> on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-holds-historic-public-mass-in-uae-195298">Arabian</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-holds-historic-public-mass-in-uae-195298"> peninsula</a>

Pope Francis held a historic public mass for an estimated 170,000 Catholics at a stadium in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, capping the first ever papal visit to the Gulf where Islam was born.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/economy-is-where-you-have-to-concentrate-chandrababu-naidu-on-oppositions-plan-for-2019-elections-195300">Economy</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/economy-is-where-you-have-to-concentrate-chandrababu-naidu-on-oppositions-plan-for-2019-elections-195300"> is where you have to concentrate: Chandrababu Naidu on Opposition’s plan for 2019 elections</a>

An alliance of regional parties in India is working on a combined economic plan, one of its leaders said, in the latest sign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces an increasingly united opposition in the upcoming general election.

Centre tells Bengal government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief The Centre has told the West Bengal government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar.

Centre tells Bengal government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief The Centre has told the West Bengal government to begin disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs told the Bengal government Tuesday that Kumar had sat in on the dharna with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — and that that was in contravention of the All India Services (Conduct) rules, 1968 and All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. Nothing more shameful than a CM sitting on dharna: Yogi Adityanath in Bengal Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath managed to reach Purulia, West Bengal from Bokaro, Jharkhand by road today after being denied permission to enter the state via a helicopter. Government expects 690 billion rupees in dividend from RBI in coming financial year The Indian government expects the central bank to pay a dividend of 690 billion rupees ($9.63 billion) in the next financial year beginning April 2019, a senior finance ministry source, who requested anonymity, told reporters on Tuesday. Francis holds first mass by pope on Arabian peninsula Pope Francis held a historic public mass for an estimated 170,000 Catholics at a stadium in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, capping the first ever papal visit to the Gulf where Islam was born. Economy is where you have to concentrate: Chandrababu Naidu on Opposition’s plan for 2019 elections An alliance of regional parties in India is working on a combined economic plan, one of its leaders said, in the latest sign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces an increasingly united opposition in the upcoming general election.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Indian government asks America to deport Dawood Ibrahim’s nephew

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure.

Two days after the government submitted to the apex court in a sealed cover details of pricing of the Rafale deal, Attornet General K K Venugopal defended the secrecy clause related to the pricing of jets before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

To the government's submission, the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said any discussion on pricing of the Rafale fighter jets can only take place if the facts on the deal are allowed to come in the public domain.

"The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said bench and noted that without bringing the facts in public domain, there was no question of any debate on the pricing of the planes.

Asserting that the decision on types of aircraft and weapons that need to be bought was a matter for experts and not an issue to be adjudicated upon by the judiciary, Venugopal said, "even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of jets".

Responding to allegation by Prashant Bhushan, one of the petitioners, that there was no sovereign guarantee by France for the deal, the attorney general admitted that there is no sovereign guarantee, but asserted that there is a letter of comfort by France which would be as good as a governmental guarantee.&nbsp;

Venugopal also submitted that in the earlier contract (during UPA government), the jets were not to be loaded with requisite weapons system and the reservation of the government was due to the fact that it did not want to violate the clause of the Inter Government Agreement and the secrecy clause.

The top law officer said the government has already given to the court the complete details of the Rafale jets, the weapons to be fitted on the aircraft and other requirements, and added that "our adversaries may get advantages if the entire details on the pricing is disclosed".

Refusing to publicly divulge details on the pricing aspect, Venugopal said he would not be able to assist the court further on the pricing issue.&nbsp;

"I decided not to peruse it myself as in a case of any leak, my office would be held responsible," he said.

During the hearing, Venugopal said at the exchange rate of November 2016, the cost of a bare fighter jet was Rs 670 crore. 
India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

He also told the court that presently three countries France, Egypt and Qatar are flying Rafale fighter jets. 
Venugopal concluded his argument saying that Rafale aircrafts are potent and "had we possessed Rafale during the Kargil war, we could have avoided huge casualties as Rafale is capable of hitting targets from a distance of 60 kms".

To this the bench said,"Mr. Attorney, Kargil was in 1999-2000? Rafale came in 2014."

The top law officer replied, "I said it hypothetically".&nbsp;

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure.

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure. Two days after the government submitted to the apex court in a sealed cover details of pricing of the Rafale deal, Attornet General K K Venugopal defended the secrecy clause related to the pricing of jets before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. To the government's submission, the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said any discussion on pricing of the Rafale fighter jets can only take place if the facts on the deal are allowed to come in the public domain. "The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said bench and noted that without bringing the facts in public domain, there was no question of any debate on the pricing of the planes. Asserting that the decision on types of aircraft and weapons that need to be bought was a matter for experts and not an issue to be adjudicated upon by the judiciary, Venugopal said, "even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of jets". Responding to allegation by Prashant Bhushan, one of the petitioners, that there was no sovereign guarantee by France for the deal, the attorney general admitted that there is no sovereign guarantee, but asserted that there is a letter of comfort by France which would be as good as a governmental guarantee. Venugopal also submitted that in the earlier contract (during UPA government), the jets were not to be loaded with requisite weapons system and the reservation of the government was due to the fact that it did not want to violate the clause of the Inter Government Agreement and the secrecy clause. The top law officer said the government has already given to the court the complete details of the Rafale jets, the weapons to be fitted on the aircraft and other requirements, and added that "our adversaries may get advantages if the entire details on the pricing is disclosed". Refusing to publicly divulge details on the pricing aspect, Venugopal said he would not be able to assist the court further on the pricing issue. "I decided not to peruse it myself as in a case of any leak, my office would be held responsible," he said. During the hearing, Venugopal said at the exchange rate of November 2016, the cost of a bare fighter jet was Rs 670 crore. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. He also told the court that presently three countries France, Egypt and Qatar are flying Rafale fighter jets. Venugopal concluded his argument saying that Rafale aircrafts are potent and "had we possessed Rafale during the Kargil war, we could have avoided huge casualties as Rafale is capable of hitting targets from a distance of 60 kms". To this the bench said,"Mr. Attorney, Kargil was in 1999-2000? Rafale came in 2014." The top law officer replied, "I said it hypothetically".

Rafale deal: Govt refuses to make pricing details public in SC 

India's government and its central bank are getting close to ironing out some of their policy differences, said two sources familiar with the discussions, as they seek to defuse worsening tensions that had threatened to unnerve investors.

While the rift is far from healed, the sources said enough progress had been made to avoid acrimony at a board meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next Monday. The threat that RBI <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513">Governor Urjit Patel would quit</a>, as reported by some newspapers last week, is also thought to be off the table, for now, they said.

The uneasy truce is likely to see the RBI ease up on some lending restrictions to help the government stimulate the economy, said the sources. One source said the RBI could agree to tweak restrictions on lending to improve credit flows for smaller companies with a borrowing limit of 250 million rupees ($3.4 million).

Neither the RBI nor the finance ministry responded to requests for comment for this article. The prime minister’s office declined to comment.&nbsp;

It is unclear how much of a role Prime Minister Narendra Modi played in defusing the tension. Local media reported that Modi met Patel last week in an attempt to sort out the contentious issues but officials in the prime minister`s office and the RBI said they did not know of such a meeting.&nbsp;

Modi had appointed Patel as the RBI governor in 2016 for a three-year term that ends in September next year.&nbsp;

For weeks, government officials in New Delhi have been pressuring the Mumbai-based RBI to accede to a range of demands, from easing lending curbs to handing over surplus reserves to the government. This prompted RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya to warn late last month that undermining a central bank`s independence could be "catastrophic," bringing the feud into the open.&nbsp;

Tensions were expected to come to a head at Monday`s meeting as government representatives on the board appeared to be ready to turn up the heat on Patel and accuse the RBI of being intransigent in the face of government demands. &nbsp;

Now, it seems likely there will be a more constructive atmosphere with agreement on some issues, and disputed questions shelved for another day, the sources said.

CAN'T AGREE TO EVERYTHING

The government is keen to provide more stimulus to the economy heading into next year`s election, especially as the incomes of many farmers have been hit by low crop prices. At the same time, it doesn`t want a bust-up with the central bank, which could badly affect investor sentiment and provide political fodder to the opposition Congress party. 
"The government understands the regulator will remain a regulator and can`t agree to all demands," said a government official, who declined to be named, referring to the RBI.&nbsp;

While the official did not give any details of the solutions being worked out with the RBI, he acknowledged that the government did not want to trigger Patel`s departure at such a sensitive time.&nbsp;

There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May. The Congress party has already been harrying the government over allegations of corruption in a military jet deal with France and infighting between the top officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).&nbsp;

An RBI board member said that helping to ease tensions was the idea that both sides wanted a healthy economy. It was just a question of how to get there. "The main issue is how to boost credit growth," the member said referring to the credit crunch facing small companies.&nbsp;

Economics Affairs Secretary S.C. Garg is expected to make a presentation in the board meeting to outline the concerns of the finance ministry and could bring up the question about the transfer of surplus cash reserves held by the RBI, the sources said.&nbsp;

The board member said that an expert panel may be set up to work out the appropriate level of contingency reserves for the RBI, effectively kicking that question down the road. The RBI introduced a so-called corrective action plan in 2014 for 11 state-run banks with bad loan issues and depleted capital. That plan included curbs on risky lending and RBI officials said, as a result, the banks` loan growth fell to zero and had remained there since 2016, from 10 per cent in 2014.&nbsp;

According to the RBI board member, the government wants the RBI to ease those curbs and lower capital requirements for the 11. &nbsp;

Some improvements in the balance sheets of those lenders might give the RBI leeway to do that, although the RBI would prefer to give the mending process more time, said another official who is aware of discussions within the central bank.

India's government and its central bank are getting close to ironing out some of their policy differences, said two sources familiar with the discussions, as they seek to defuse worsening tensions that had threatened to unnerve investors.

India's government and its central bank are getting close to ironing out some of their policy differences, said two sources familiar with the discussions, as they seek to defuse worsening tensions that had threatened to unnerve investors. While the rift is far from healed, the sources said enough progress had been made to avoid acrimony at a board meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next Monday. The threat that RBI Governor Urjit Patel would quit, as reported by some newspapers last week, is also thought to be off the table, for now, they said. The uneasy truce is likely to see the RBI ease up on some lending restrictions to help the government stimulate the economy, said the sources. One source said the RBI could agree to tweak restrictions on lending to improve credit flows for smaller companies with a borrowing limit of 250 million rupees ($3.4 million). Neither the RBI nor the finance ministry responded to requests for comment for this article. The prime minister’s office declined to comment. It is unclear how much of a role Prime Minister Narendra Modi played in defusing the tension. Local media reported that Modi met Patel last week in an attempt to sort out the contentious issues but officials in the prime minister`s office and the RBI said they did not know of such a meeting. Modi had appointed Patel as the RBI governor in 2016 for a three-year term that ends in September next year. For weeks, government officials in New Delhi have been pressuring the Mumbai-based RBI to accede to a range of demands, from easing lending curbs to handing over surplus reserves to the government. This prompted RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya to warn late last month that undermining a central bank`s independence could be "catastrophic," bringing the feud into the open. Tensions were expected to come to a head at Monday`s meeting as government representatives on the board appeared to be ready to turn up the heat on Patel and accuse the RBI of being intransigent in the face of government demands. Now, it seems likely there will be a more constructive atmosphere with agreement on some issues, and disputed questions shelved for another day, the sources said. CAN'T AGREE TO EVERYTHING The government is keen to provide more stimulus to the economy heading into next year`s election, especially as the incomes of many farmers have been hit by low crop prices. At the same time, it doesn`t want a bust-up with the central bank, which could badly affect investor sentiment and provide political fodder to the opposition Congress party. "The government understands the regulator will remain a regulator and can`t agree to all demands," said a government official, who declined to be named, referring to the RBI. While the official did not give any details of the solutions being worked out with the RBI, he acknowledged that the government did not want to trigger Patel`s departure at such a sensitive time. There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May. The Congress party has already been harrying the government over allegations of corruption in a military jet deal with France and infighting between the top officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). An RBI board member said that helping to ease tensions was the idea that both sides wanted a healthy economy. It was just a question of how to get there. "The main issue is how to boost credit growth," the member said referring to the credit crunch facing small companies. Economics Affairs Secretary S.C. Garg is expected to make a presentation in the board meeting to outline the concerns of the finance ministry and could bring up the question about the transfer of surplus cash reserves held by the RBI, the sources said. The board member said that an expert panel may be set up to work out the appropriate level of contingency reserves for the RBI, effectively kicking that question down the road. The RBI introduced a so-called corrective action plan in 2014 for 11 state-run banks with bad loan issues and depleted capital. That plan included curbs on risky lending and RBI officials said, as a result, the banks` loan growth fell to zero and had remained there since 2016, from 10 per cent in 2014. According to the RBI board member, the government wants the RBI to ease those curbs and lower capital requirements for the 11. Some improvements in the balance sheets of those lenders might give the RBI leeway to do that, although the RBI would prefer to give the mending process more time, said another official who is aware of discussions within the central bank.

Govt, RBI nearing truce, threat of Urjit Patel resigning off table: Sources

Keeping up the heat on the RBI, the government will continue to press the central bank to relax norms to boost lending and transfer at least a third of its Rs 9.6 lakh crore reserve, sources familiar with the discussions said.

In recent weeks, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-could-resign-on-november-19-report-175967">rift between the RBI and the government</a> has been widening over various issues.

Recently, the government cited never-used before provisions of law that gives it powers to issue directions to the RBI on mattes of public interest to resolve certain issues.

Citing Section 7 of the RBI Act - an unprecedented move in the 80-year history of RBI - the government wants RBI Governor Urjit Patel to address three prime concerns. They pertain to transfer of surplus funds, easing of NPA norms to kickstart lending and support growth, and easing liquidity crisis facing non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), sources had said.

These issues may figure during the RBI's board meeting on November 19.

According to the sources, the government would continue to press the RBI to relax norms to boost lending and transfer at least a third of its Rs 9.6 lakh crore reserve.

The government wants the RBI to part with most of its profit as dividend. The central bank, however, feels that it needs to retain a share of profits to make its balance sheet stronger, as per media reports.

The government wants Rs 3.6 lakh crore of surplus to be transferred to it, the reports said.

In its attempt to clean up the banking system, the RBI introduced Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework that places curbs on lending, expanding branch network and dividend distribution on weak banks.

It has also mandated banks to declare a delinquent borrower even if payments were overdue by a day.

The government wants some of these strictures to be eased to kick start lending and support growth, the sources said.

One of the nominee director on RBI's Central Board S Gurumurthy has reportedly written to RBI Governor Urjit Patel regarding Deputy Governor Viral Acharya raising the issue of the bank's autonomy at a public event recently.

Sources had said that the RBI's board meeting on November 19 was pre-scheduled and routine. The last meeting of the board was held in October.

Apart from Patel and his four deputies, there are 13 nominated directors on the RBI's board.

The reports of rift between the RBI and the government surfaced last month following the Finance Ministry reportedly started discussion with the RBI under the never before used Section 7 of the RBI Act.

In a statement last week, the ministry said the RBI's autonomy is "essential" and will be "nurtured".

Last week, Economic Affairs Seceretary Subhash Chandra Garg and government nominee on the Board took an apparent dig at Acharya's 'wrath of financial markets' comment in a tweet saying vital indicators of the economy were showing improvement.

Acharya, in his much talked about speech last month, raised the issue of autonomy of the central bank and said that undermining the central bank's independence could be "potentially catastrophic".

"Governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day they undermined an important regulatory institution; their wiser counterparts who invest in central bank independence will enjoy lower costs of borrowing, the love of international investors, and longer life spans," Acharya had said.

The deputy governor's comment had generated controversy, hinting at the growing rift between the government and the central bank.

Keeping up the heat on the RBI, the government will continue to press the central bank to relax norms to boost lending and transfer at least a third of its Rs 9.

Keeping up the heat on the RBI, the government will continue to press the central bank to relax norms to boost lending and transfer at least a third of its Rs 9.6 lakh crore reserve, sources familiar with the discussions said. In recent weeks, the rift between the RBI and the government has been widening over various issues. Recently, the government cited never-used before provisions of law that gives it powers to issue directions to the RBI on mattes of public interest to resolve certain issues. Citing Section 7 of the RBI Act - an unprecedented move in the 80-year history of RBI - the government wants RBI Governor Urjit Patel to address three prime concerns. They pertain to transfer of surplus funds, easing of NPA norms to kickstart lending and support growth, and easing liquidity crisis facing non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), sources had said. These issues may figure during the RBI's board meeting on November 19. According to the sources, the government would continue to press the RBI to relax norms to boost lending and transfer at least a third of its Rs 9.6 lakh crore reserve. The government wants the RBI to part with most of its profit as dividend. The central bank, however, feels that it needs to retain a share of profits to make its balance sheet stronger, as per media reports. The government wants Rs 3.6 lakh crore of surplus to be transferred to it, the reports said. In its attempt to clean up the banking system, the RBI introduced Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework that places curbs on lending, expanding branch network and dividend distribution on weak banks. It has also mandated banks to declare a delinquent borrower even if payments were overdue by a day. The government wants some of these strictures to be eased to kick start lending and support growth, the sources said. One of the nominee director on RBI's Central Board S Gurumurthy has reportedly written to RBI Governor Urjit Patel regarding Deputy Governor Viral Acharya raising the issue of the bank's autonomy at a public event recently. Sources had said that the RBI's board meeting on November 19 was pre-scheduled and routine. The last meeting of the board was held in October. Apart from Patel and his four deputies, there are 13 nominated directors on the RBI's board. The reports of rift between the RBI and the government surfaced last month following the Finance Ministry reportedly started discussion with the RBI under the never before used Section 7 of the RBI Act. In a statement last week, the ministry said the RBI's autonomy is "essential" and will be "nurtured". Last week, Economic Affairs Seceretary Subhash Chandra Garg and government nominee on the Board took an apparent dig at Acharya's 'wrath of financial markets' comment in a tweet saying vital indicators of the economy were showing improvement. Acharya, in his much talked about speech last month, raised the issue of autonomy of the central bank and said that undermining the central bank's independence could be "potentially catastrophic". "Governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day they undermined an important regulatory institution; their wiser counterparts who invest in central bank independence will enjoy lower costs of borrowing, the love of international investors, and longer life spans," Acharya had said. The deputy governor's comment had generated controversy, hinting at the growing rift between the government and the central bank.

Govt to continue pressing RBI for relaxing norms, funds: Sources

The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513">RBI Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning</a>&nbsp;

Separate letters have been sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor in recent weeks, exercising powers under the Section 7 of the RBI Act on issues ranging from liquidity for non-banking financial companies, capital requirement for weak banks and lending to small and medium enterprises, the report said.

Section 7 says that 'the Central Government may from time to time give such directions to the Bank as it may, after consultation with the Governor of the Bank, consider necessary in the public interest', a statute that has not been used in independent India, according to the Economic Times.

The RBI was not immediately available for comment. The finance ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

Tensions between the RBI and the government have spilled into the public domain after Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said last week that undermining central bank independence could be "potentially catastrophic", indicating the authority is pushing back against government pressure to relax its policies and reduce its powers ahead of a general election due by May.

Adding to the row, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley blamed the central bank for failing to stop a lending spree during 2008-2014 that left banks with $150 billion of bad debt.

&nbsp;

The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday.

The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. Also read: RBI Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning Separate letters have been sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor in recent weeks, exercising powers under the Section 7 of the RBI Act on issues ranging from liquidity for non-banking financial companies, capital requirement for weak banks and lending to small and medium enterprises, the report said. Section 7 says that 'the Central Government may from time to time give such directions to the Bank as it may, after consultation with the Governor of the Bank, consider necessary in the public interest', a statute that has not been used in independent India, according to the Economic Times. The RBI was not immediately available for comment. The finance ministry could not be immediately reached for comment. Tensions between the RBI and the government have spilled into the public domain after Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said last week that undermining central bank independence could be "potentially catastrophic", indicating the authority is pushing back against government pressure to relax its policies and reduce its powers ahead of a general election due by May. Adding to the row, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley blamed the central bank for failing to stop a lending spree during 2008-2014 that left banks with $150 billion of bad debt.

Government invokes powers to issue directions to RBI governor: Report

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the central government for pricing details of the Rafale deal. The court also asked for details of the deal's offset partner.&nbsp;

The court told the government that details of the deal that should legitimately be in the public domain should be shared with the petitioners who have filed PILs against the deal.&nbsp;

The court added that the details should be handed over in a sealed cover within the next 10 days.&nbsp;

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Supreme Court asks Centre to give details of the pricing and strategic details of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> aircraft in a sealed cover to the court, in 10 days. <a href="https://t.co/wqKbErKpbh">pic.twitter.com/wqKbErKpbh</a>
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Supreme Court asks Central government to disclose information on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> deal which can be legitimately put in public domain and information on induction of Indian offset partner be furnished to petitioners who have filed PILs <a href="https://t.co/XWMpffILGJ">https://t.co/XWMpffILGJ</a>
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The court made clear Wednesday that it did not want technical details of the deal, saying that none of the PILs filed against the deal had challenged the suitability of the fighter jet.&nbsp;

The court also added that the government did not need to hand over any details that were secret, or which might affect national security.&nbsp;

Attorney General KK Venugopal however told the court that the deal's pricing details could not be shared with the court, in reply to which the court ordered the Centre to file an affidavit saying why that was so.&nbsp;

The court had earlier asked the government for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-supreme-court-asks-govt-for-details-of-decision-making-process-170590">details of the deal's decision-making process</a>.&nbsp;

The opposition has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of corruption in the Rafale deal. &nbsp;

An original deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter planes from France's Dassault Aviation had been brokered by the UPA government. Then, in 2015, Modi signed a new government-to-government deal with then French president Francois Hollande to buy 36 of the planes.&nbsp;

The opposition — led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi — says the NDA government is paying three times as much as the UPA government had agreed to pay for every Rafale. The opposition has also accused the government of crony capitalism.&nbsp;

According to India's defence acquisition rules, a foreign company making a large sale to India has to funnel 30% of the money paid to it back into India. That by definition requires it to have an Indian partner or partners.&nbsp;

The original Indian partner in the Rafale deal was the public sector HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd). But HAL was turfed out of the new deal, in favour of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence which has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace industries.&nbsp;

The government had earlier said it was Dassault which chose Reliance and they had nothing to do with it but Hollande, while on a trip to India, recently said it was the Indian government which had suggested Reliance's name.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the central government for pricing details of the Rafale deal. The court also asked for details of the deal's offset partner.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the central government for pricing details of the Rafale deal. The court also asked for details of the deal's offset partner. The court told the government that details of the deal that should legitimately be in the public domain should be shared with the petitioners who have filed PILs against the deal. The court added that the details should be handed over in a sealed cover within the next 10 days. Supreme Court asks Centre to give details of the pricing and strategic details of #Rafale aircraft in a sealed cover to the court, in 10 days. pic.twitter.com/wqKbErKpbh — ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2018 × Supreme Court asks Central government to disclose information on #Rafale deal which can be legitimately put in public domain and information on induction of Indian offset partner be furnished to petitioners who have filed PILs https://t.co/XWMpffILGJ — ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2018 × The court made clear Wednesday that it did not want technical details of the deal, saying that none of the PILs filed against the deal had challenged the suitability of the fighter jet. The court also added that the government did not need to hand over any details that were secret, or which might affect national security. Attorney General KK Venugopal however told the court that the deal's pricing details could not be shared with the court, in reply to which the court ordered the Centre to file an affidavit saying why that was so. The court had earlier asked the government for details of the deal's decision-making process. The opposition has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of corruption in the Rafale deal. An original deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter planes from France's Dassault Aviation had been brokered by the UPA government. Then, in 2015, Modi signed a new government-to-government deal with then French president Francois Hollande to buy 36 of the planes. The opposition — led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi — says the NDA government is paying three times as much as the UPA government had agreed to pay for every Rafale. The opposition has also accused the government of crony capitalism. According to India's defence acquisition rules, a foreign company making a large sale to India has to funnel 30% of the money paid to it back into India. That by definition requires it to have an Indian partner or partners. The original Indian partner in the Rafale deal was the public sector HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd). But HAL was turfed out of the new deal, in favour of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence which has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace industries. The government had earlier said it was Dassault which chose Reliance and they had nothing to do with it but Hollande, while on a trip to India, recently said it was the Indian government which had suggested Reliance's name.

Rafale deal: SC asks Centre for pricing details, govt says cannot share

The Finance Ministry said Wednesday that both the government and the RBI have to be guided by public interest and the requirements of the economy.&nbsp;

It added that "autonomy for the Central Bank within framework of RBI Act is essential and accepted governance requirement. Governments have nurtured and respected this."&nbsp;

There have been several media reports of late of a massive rift opening up between the government and the Reserve Bank of India.&nbsp;

RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said last week in a public speech that "governments that do not respect central bank's independence will sooner or later <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/a-govt-that-does-not-respect-rbis-independence-will-incur-wrath-of-markets-rbi-deputy-governor-173752">incur the wrath of financial markets</a>". Acharya is said to have had the backing of his boss, RBI Governor Urjit Patel.&nbsp;

The government was reportedly "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-very-upset-with-rbi-for-making-rift-public-sources-174359">very upset</a>" by the RBI talking about the rift in public.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, wionews.com reported that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513">Patel may be considering resigning</a>.&nbsp;

In its statement Wednesday, the Finance Ministry added that: "Extensive consultations on several issues take place between government and RBI from time to time. This is equally true of all regulators. Government has never made public the subject matter of those consultations. Only final decisions are communicated."&nbsp;

The Finance Ministry said Wednesday that both the government and the RBI have to be guided by public interest and the requirements of the economy. It added that "autonomy for the Central Bank within framework of RBI Act is essential and accepted governance requirement.

The Finance Ministry said Wednesday that both the government and the RBI have to be guided by public interest and the requirements of the economy. It added that "autonomy for the Central Bank within framework of RBI Act is essential and accepted governance requirement. Governments have nurtured and respected this." There have been several media reports of late of a massive rift opening up between the government and the Reserve Bank of India. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said last week in a public speech that "governments that do not respect central bank's independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets". Acharya is said to have had the backing of his boss, RBI Governor Urjit Patel. The government was reportedly "very upset" by the RBI talking about the rift in public. On Wednesday, wionews.com reported that Patel may be considering resigning. In its statement Wednesday, the Finance Ministry added that: "Extensive consultations on several issues take place between government and RBI from time to time. This is equally true of all regulators. Government has never made public the subject matter of those consultations. Only final decisions are communicated."

Both govt & RBI have to be guided by public interest, Finance Ministry says amid reports of row

Indian government officials are very upset with the central bank for publicly talking about a rift with the government, fearing it could tarnish the country's image among investors, senior officials said on Monday.

On Friday night, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya warned that undermining a central bank's independence could be "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/a-govt-that-does-not-respect-rbis-independence-will-incur-wrath-of-markets-rbi-deputy-governor-173752">potentially catastrophic</a>", in an indication that it is pushing back hard against government pressure to relax its policies and reduce its powers.

In a speech to top industrialists Acharya cited the Argentine government's meddling in its central bank's affairs in 2010 as an example of what can go wrong. That led to a surge in bond yields that badly hurt the South American economy.

"Governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day they undermined an important regulatory institution," Acharya said.

The government officials Reuters spoke to on Monday declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

One said that it was vital that what happened between the government in New Delhi and the RBI in Mumbai was kept confidential. "The government respects the autonomy and independence of the RBI but they must understand their responsibility," the official said.

A second official, based in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, said it was "very unfortunate" that the RBI took the matters public. "The government is very upset. It was not expected from the RBI," the official added.

An RBI spokesman was not immediately available for comments after business hours.

Government officials have recently called for the RBI to relax its lending restrictions on some banks, and New Delhi has also been trying to trim the RBI's regulatory powers by setting up a new regulator for the country's payments system.

The Modi administration has also been pushing the central bank to part with some of its 3.6 trillion rupees ($49 billion)surplus to help bridge the fiscal deficit and finance its welfare programmes.

JAPAN TRIP

The officials in New Delhi were particularly angry that Acharya launched the attack while Modi was about to head to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the first source said.

Finance ministry officials remained largely silent in response to the speech at the weekend, as they didn't want to aggravate the issue when Modi and top officials were in Japan, this official said.

Government officials believe that RBI Governor Urjit Patel has some responsibility for the controversy, and he cannot expect an extension of his current three-year term - which ends next September - "as his right", one of the officials added.

Acharya had three of his fellow deputy governors in the audience and also thanked Governor Patel for his "suggestion to explore this theme for a speech", in a show of unity from an institution typically known for its restraint.

The official in the prime minister's office said Patel could face a tough time when he appears before a parliamentary standing committee on Nov. 12.

Top government officials said they were surprised that Patel, who was appointed by the Modi administration in 2016, and initially cooperated with New Delhi, is creating tensions when the government is facing criticism over handling of the economy before a national election, due by next May.

On Monday, a third government source said the finance ministry was worried how markets would respond to Acharya's public comments, but felt more relaxed after they rose. The gains were largely a result of a separate announcement by the RBI about an injection of liquidity through government bond buying.

The benchmark stock index rose as much as 2.15 percent and the yields on the 10-year benchmark fell to 7.81 percent, compared with 7.88 percent on Friday.

Modi's government is pushing the central bank to relax lending norms for small businesses and pump more liquidity into the market to bolster economic growth before key state elections due in the next few weeks and the general election.

It is worried that the central bank's hawkish monetary stance and stringent regulations on lending by state banks could push economic growth below 7 percent in the October-December quarter - the last quarter for which data would be available ahead of the general election.

"When we are facing problems on the external front like high crude oil prices, trade tensions putting pressure on our current account balance, can we afford another domestic crisis?" the third government source said.

Indian government officials are very upset with the central bank for publicly talking about a rift with the government, fearing it could tarnish the country's image among investors, senior officials said on Monday.

Indian government officials are very upset with the central bank for publicly talking about a rift with the government, fearing it could tarnish the country's image among investors, senior officials said on Monday. On Friday night, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya warned that undermining a central bank's independence could be "potentially catastrophic", in an indication that it is pushing back hard against government pressure to relax its policies and reduce its powers. In a speech to top industrialists Acharya cited the Argentine government's meddling in its central bank's affairs in 2010 as an example of what can go wrong. That led to a surge in bond yields that badly hurt the South American economy. "Governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day they undermined an important regulatory institution," Acharya said. The government officials Reuters spoke to on Monday declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. One said that it was vital that what happened between the government in New Delhi and the RBI in Mumbai was kept confidential. "The government respects the autonomy and independence of the RBI but they must understand their responsibility," the official said. A second official, based in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, said it was "very unfortunate" that the RBI took the matters public. "The government is very upset. It was not expected from the RBI," the official added. An RBI spokesman was not immediately available for comments after business hours. Government officials have recently called for the RBI to relax its lending restrictions on some banks, and New Delhi has also been trying to trim the RBI's regulatory powers by setting up a new regulator for the country's payments system. The Modi administration has also been pushing the central bank to part with some of its 3.6 trillion rupees ($49 billion)surplus to help bridge the fiscal deficit and finance its welfare programmes. JAPAN TRIP The officials in New Delhi were particularly angry that Acharya launched the attack while Modi was about to head to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the first source said. Finance ministry officials remained largely silent in response to the speech at the weekend, as they didn't want to aggravate the issue when Modi and top officials were in Japan, this official said. Government officials believe that RBI Governor Urjit Patel has some responsibility for the controversy, and he cannot expect an extension of his current three-year term - which ends next September - "as his right", one of the officials added. Acharya had three of his fellow deputy governors in the audience and also thanked Governor Patel for his "suggestion to explore this theme for a speech", in a show of unity from an institution typically known for its restraint. The official in the prime minister's office said Patel could face a tough time when he appears before a parliamentary standing committee on Nov. 12. Top government officials said they were surprised that Patel, who was appointed by the Modi administration in 2016, and initially cooperated with New Delhi, is creating tensions when the government is facing criticism over handling of the economy before a national election, due by next May. On Monday, a third government source said the finance ministry was worried how markets would respond to Acharya's public comments, but felt more relaxed after they rose. The gains were largely a result of a separate announcement by the RBI about an injection of liquidity through government bond buying. The benchmark stock index rose as much as 2.15 percent and the yields on the 10-year benchmark fell to 7.81 percent, compared with 7.88 percent on Friday. Modi's government is pushing the central bank to relax lending norms for small businesses and pump more liquidity into the market to bolster economic growth before key state elections due in the next few weeks and the general election. It is worried that the central bank's hawkish monetary stance and stringent regulations on lending by state banks could push economic growth below 7 percent in the October-December quarter - the last quarter for which data would be available ahead of the general election. "When we are facing problems on the external front like high crude oil prices, trade tensions putting pressure on our current account balance, can we afford another domestic crisis?" the third government source said.

Government very upset with RBI for making rift public: Sources

Mobile messaging app Whatsapp has appointed a grievance officer for India and detailed out a process on its website for users to flag concerns and complaints, including those around fake news.

Meeting one of the key demands made by India to curb fake messages that triggered mob killings, the Facebook-owned company has updated its website to reflect the appointment of a 'Grievance Officer for India'.

The update mentions that users can seek help through the mobile app, send an email or write in to grievance officer Komal Lahiri, who is based out of the US.

According to Lahiri's LinkedIn profile, she is the senior director, global customer operations and localisation, at WhatsApp.

A WhatsApp spokesperson declined to comment on the matter but pointed to the public FAQ on the company's website that contains these details.

According to sources, the appointment of the grievance officer was made at the end of August.

According to WhatsApp's website, users can reach out to the company's support team directly from the app under 'Settings' tab and if they wish to escalate the complaint, they can contact the grievance officer.

A section within the FAQs reads: "You (users) can contact the Grievance Officer with complaints or concerns, including the following: WhatsApp's Terms of Service; and Questions about your account."

The updated FAQs also listed out a mechanism for law enforcement officials on how to reach out to WhatsApp.

The government has been pressing WhatsApp to develop tools to combat fake or false messages.&nbsp;

India is WhatsApp's biggest market with more than 200 million users. In July, it limited message forwards to five chats at a time and removed the quick forward button to discourage mass forwarding. It has also introduced a 'forward' label to help users identify such messages.

The latest appointment is also significant as the Supreme Court last month agreed to examine a petition alleging that WhatsApp does not comply with Indian laws, including the provision for appointing a grievance officer. The apex court had sought a reply on the matter within four weeks.

With general elections slated for next year in India, the government is taking a tough stance on the spread of misinformation through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

The government had warned WhatsApp that it will treat the messaging platform as abettor of rumour propagation while legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place.

In a meeting with WhatsApp Head Chris Daniels last month, information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the company will have to find a solution to track the origin of messages on its platform, set up a local corporate entity that is subject to Indian laws within a defined time frame as well as appoint a grievance officer.

WhatsApp, which has been slapped with two notices with a third one under consideration, has said it is in the process of establishing a local corporate entity.

It has, however, not accepted the government's demand for traceability of messages saying creating such a software will go against the idea of user privacy and end-to-end encryption. 
&nbsp;

Mobile messaging app Whatsapp has appointed a grievance officer for India and detailed out a process on its website for users to flag concerns and complaints, including those around fake news.

Mobile messaging app Whatsapp has appointed a grievance officer for India and detailed out a process on its website for users to flag concerns and complaints, including those around fake news. Meeting one of the key demands made by India to curb fake messages that triggered mob killings, the Facebook-owned company has updated its website to reflect the appointment of a 'Grievance Officer for India'. The update mentions that users can seek help through the mobile app, send an email or write in to grievance officer Komal Lahiri, who is based out of the US. According to Lahiri's LinkedIn profile, she is the senior director, global customer operations and localisation, at WhatsApp. A WhatsApp spokesperson declined to comment on the matter but pointed to the public FAQ on the company's website that contains these details. According to sources, the appointment of the grievance officer was made at the end of August. According to WhatsApp's website, users can reach out to the company's support team directly from the app under 'Settings' tab and if they wish to escalate the complaint, they can contact the grievance officer. A section within the FAQs reads: "You (users) can contact the Grievance Officer with complaints or concerns, including the following: WhatsApp's Terms of Service; and Questions about your account." The updated FAQs also listed out a mechanism for law enforcement officials on how to reach out to WhatsApp. The government has been pressing WhatsApp to develop tools to combat fake or false messages. India is WhatsApp's biggest market with more than 200 million users. In July, it limited message forwards to five chats at a time and removed the quick forward button to discourage mass forwarding. It has also introduced a 'forward' label to help users identify such messages. The latest appointment is also significant as the Supreme Court last month agreed to examine a petition alleging that WhatsApp does not comply with Indian laws, including the provision for appointing a grievance officer. The apex court had sought a reply on the matter within four weeks. With general elections slated for next year in India, the government is taking a tough stance on the spread of misinformation through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The government had warned WhatsApp that it will treat the messaging platform as abettor of rumour propagation while legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place. In a meeting with WhatsApp Head Chris Daniels last month, information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the company will have to find a solution to track the origin of messages on its platform, set up a local corporate entity that is subject to Indian laws within a defined time frame as well as appoint a grievance officer. WhatsApp, which has been slapped with two notices with a third one under consideration, has said it is in the process of establishing a local corporate entity. It has, however, not accepted the government's demand for traceability of messages saying creating such a software will go against the idea of user privacy and end-to-end encryption.

Meeting govt's demand, WhatsApp appoints 'Grievance Officer for India'

Non-BJP parties are beaming after success in bypoll results on May 31, particularly on BJP's defeat in Kairana. All local satraps of non-BJP parties (or can we say a legion of aspiring PM candidates) are denouncing that this is beginning of end game for Modi and Shah.

The rhetoric is that united opposition would make sure that BJP is defeated in 2019. Somehow Congress is in the funniest situation. All the spokespersons of the party have been upbeat and smiling on all channels despite the fact Congress got nothing in this bypoll. When one TV anchor asked a very pertinent question to Congress last night "whether your objective in 2019 to win election or just to make sure that BJP is defeated?", Congress spokesperson was mumbling in response.

The bottomline is that despite results of Kairana and Gorakhpur/Phulpur earlier, the non-BJP federal front stands no merit. In the first place, against a formidable Modi/Shah duo, the united opposition will not have an easy task in hand. But even if they have a chance, it is not good for the nation in any way.

History tells this to us in an unequivocal manner.

There is a very unique paradox here. All these parties are coming together because of a looming existential crisis. There is an ultimate fear factor and let's call it XYZ factor. This&nbsp; XYZ factor may keep these parties on a platform until the time of the election. Once they get political success (this is just an assumption though) this XYZ factor vanishes in no time. Since XYZ was the only binding factor, once it goes, in-fighting and split is imminent. Once in power, personal political agenda of each satrap will come to the fore and completely take over the XYZ factor. This phenomenon is in the very DNA of the mankind and cannot be denied.

In 1977, as soon as all leaders under JP were able to defeat Indira Gandhi and government was formed at the Centre, swords came out and all heavyweights started fighting with each other. It took just a couple of years for the government to fall.

In 1989, the drive to remove Rajiv and Congress was so strong that in an unprecedented move left (CPI/CPM) and right (BJP) came on a single platform to support VP Singh. VP Singh couldn't even complete one year at the office.

Take the latest example of Karnataka. In a haste to stop the BJP, Congress and JD(S) have come together but once in power, they are not even able to set ministers for different portfolios even after 10 days of getting a go ahead for forming the government.

But make no mistake. Even a united opposition is in no way in the position of 1977 and 1989. In 1977, there was nationwide anger against Indira Gandhi and in 1989 there was a clear resentment against Rajiv. Being astute statesmen, JP and VP Singh capitalised on the situation and built a strong narrative. This time united opposition neither have a unique politician (like JP and VP Singh) behind whom other can coalesce and at the top of it, Modi is still on a very strong pitch.

Bypoll results can be misleading. One political commentator made a very interesting comment. He said that Modi's direct involvement in any election in itself results in 2-3% vote swing in favour of BJP. So the real battle would be a different ball game.

In the end, the slogan "Modi hatao" cannot be the single point objective. Opposition parties need to set a convincing agenda and put up the same to voters. The Indian democracy and voters have matured over the years. Extrapolating Kairana's result to the whole nation in 2019 can, in fact, be fatal for the united opposition.

Modi and Shah are very much up for the challenge. There is one full year for the 2019 election and Amit Shah is shrewd enough to recalibrate his plans for this new challenge.

The attempt of united opposition to topple BJP is bound to fail and it is nothing more the repeat of failed experiments in the past.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Non-BJP parties are beaming after success in bypoll results on May 31, particularly on BJP's defeat in Kairana. All local satraps of non-BJP parties (or can we say a legion of aspiring PM candidates) are denouncing that this is beginning of end game for Modi and Shah. The rhetoric is that united opposition would make sure that BJP is defeated in 2019. Somehow Congress is in the funniest situation. All the spokespersons of the party have been upbeat and smiling on all channels despite the fact Congress got nothing in this bypoll. When one TV anchor asked a very pertinent question to Congress last night "whether your objective in 2019 to win election or just to make sure that BJP is defeated?", Congress spokesperson was mumbling in response. The bottomline is that despite results of Kairana and Gorakhpur/Phulpur earlier, the non-BJP federal front stands no merit. In the first place, against a formidable Modi/Shah duo, the united opposition will not have an easy task in hand. But even if they have a chance, it is not good for the nation in any way. History tells this to us in an unequivocal manner. There is a very unique paradox here. All these parties are coming together because of a looming existential crisis. There is an ultimate fear factor and let's call it XYZ factor. This XYZ factor may keep these parties on a platform until the time of the election. Once they get political success (this is just an assumption though) this XYZ factor vanishes in no time. Since XYZ was the only binding factor, once it goes, in-fighting and split is imminent. Once in power, personal political agenda of each satrap will come to the fore and completely take over the XYZ factor. This phenomenon is in the very DNA of the mankind and cannot be denied. In 1977, as soon as all leaders under JP were able to defeat Indira Gandhi and government was formed at the Centre, swords came out and all heavyweights started fighting with each other. It took just a couple of years for the government to fall. In 1989, the drive to remove Rajiv and Congress was so strong that in an unprecedented move left (CPI/CPM) and right (BJP) came on a single platform to support VP Singh. VP Singh couldn't even complete one year at the office. Take the latest example of Karnataka. In a haste to stop the BJP, Congress and JD(S) have come together but once in power, they are not even able to set ministers for different portfolios even after 10 days of getting a go ahead for forming the government. But make no mistake. Even a united opposition is in no way in the position of 1977 and 1989. In 1977, there was nationwide anger against Indira Gandhi and in 1989 there was a clear resentment against Rajiv. Being astute statesmen, JP and VP Singh capitalised on the situation and built a strong narrative. This time united opposition neither have a unique politician (like JP and VP Singh) behind whom other can coalesce and at the top of it, Modi is still on a very strong pitch. Bypoll results can be misleading. One political commentator made a very interesting comment. He said that Modi's direct involvement in any election in itself results in 2-3% vote swing in favour of BJP. So the real battle would be a different ball game. In the end, the slogan "Modi hatao" cannot be the single point objective. Opposition parties need to set a convincing agenda and put up the same to voters. The Indian democracy and voters have matured over the years. Extrapolating Kairana's result to the whole nation in 2019 can, in fact, be fatal for the united opposition. Modi and Shah are very much up for the challenge. There is one full year for the 2019 election and Amit Shah is shrewd enough to recalibrate his plans for this new challenge. The attempt of united opposition to topple BJP is bound to fail and it is nothing more the repeat of failed experiments in the past. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Can united opposition take on BJP? History says otherwise

Facebook received more than 22,000 requests from the Indian government for data in 2017, the second highest globally after the US, the social networking giant said.

The company in its Transparency Report said it had received 9,853 total requests in January-June 2017, followed by 12,171 requests in the later half of the year. This is about 62 per cent higher than 2016 when the Indian government made 13,613 such requests.

According to the half-yearly report, Facebook -- which is the second largest userbase for the social networking giant -- received 12,171 requests from Indian government agencies for 17,262 users/accounts in the second half of 2017. It had produced some data in 53 per cent of the requests made.

Facebook had received over 65,000 government requests for user data in the US in 2017. Globally, it had received over 1.6 lakh requests in 2017 as compared to about 1.23 lakh requests in the previous year.

The company said it responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and our terms of service.&nbsp

"Each and every request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency and we may reject or require greater specificity on requests that appear overly broad or vague," it added.

Besides, Facebook also said it had restricted 1,914 content pieces in July-December 2017 in India, more than double that of the year-ago period following requests from law enforcement agencies.

The US-based company had restricted 719 pieces in the July-December 2016 period while 1,228 content pieces were restricted in the January-June 2017 period, the Transparency Report said.

"We restricted access to content in India in response to legal requests from law enforcement agencies and the India Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology," the report said.

It added that majority of the content restricted was alleged to violate Indian laws relating to the defamation of religion, hate speech, and defamation of the state.

Globally, Facebook restricted 14,294 content pieces in the second half of 2017, compared to 28,036 in January-June 2017 and 6,944 pieces in July-December 2016.

Facebook said when something on its platform or Instagram is reported to it as violating local law but does not go against its Community Standards, it may restrict the content's availability in the country where it is alleged to be illegal. When a single piece of content is restricted in multiple countries, each restriction is counted independently.

It added that the US-based company receives reports from governments and courts, as well from non-government entities like members of the Facebook community and NGOs.&nbsp

The highest number of content pieces restricted in India by Facebook was in January-June 2015 when 15,155 total restrictions were made. Facebook has been making these disclosures from as early as 2013.&nbsp

Facebook had received over 65,000 government requests for user data in the US in 2017

Facebook received more than 22,000 requests from the Indian government for data in 2017, the second highest globally after the US, the social networking giant said. The company in its Transparency Report said it had received 9,853 total requests in January-June 2017, followed by 12,171 requests in the later half of the year. This is about 62 per cent higher than 2016 when the Indian government made 13,613 such requests. According to the half-yearly report, Facebook -- which is the second largest userbase for the social networking giant -- received 12,171 requests from Indian government agencies for 17,262 users/accounts in the second half of 2017. It had produced some data in 53 per cent of the requests made. Facebook had received over 65,000 government requests for user data in the US in 2017. Globally, it had received over 1.6 lakh requests in 2017 as compared to about 1.23 lakh requests in the previous year. The company said it responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and our terms of service. "Each and every request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency and we may reject or require greater specificity on requests that appear overly broad or vague," it added. Besides, Facebook also said it had restricted 1,914 content pieces in July-December 2017 in India, more than double that of the year-ago period following requests from law enforcement agencies. The US-based company had restricted 719 pieces in the July-December 2016 period while 1,228 content pieces were restricted in the January-June 2017 period, the Transparency Report said. "We restricted access to content in India in response to legal requests from law enforcement agencies and the India Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology," the report said. It added that majority of the content restricted was alleged to violate Indian laws relating to the defamation of religion, hate speech, and defamation of the state. Globally, Facebook restricted 14,294 content pieces in the second half of 2017, compared to 28,036 in January-June 2017 and 6,944 pieces in July-December 2016. Facebook said when something on its platform or Instagram is reported to it as violating local law but does not go against its Community Standards, it may restrict the content's availability in the country where it is alleged to be illegal. When a single piece of content is restricted in multiple countries, each restriction is counted independently. It added that the US-based company receives reports from governments and courts, as well from non-government entities like members of the Facebook community and NGOs. The highest number of content pieces restricted in India by Facebook was in January-June 2015 when 15,155 total restrictions were made. Facebook has been making these disclosures from as early as 2013.

Facebook received over 22 thousand data requests from Indian govt in 2017

Pakistan's Hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed needs a heart transplant after problems began to surface in the pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart.

According to media reports, the World Cup-winning hockey goalkeeper has appealed to the Indian government and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to grant him a medical visa.

Ahmed helped Pakistan win the 1994 World Cup in Sydney with his penalty stroke push against the Netherlands in the final.

In a career spanning from 1986 to 2000, Ahmed 338 international matches. He was adjudged the best goalkeeper by International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1994.

India has severed all sporting ties with Pakistan after the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai.&nbsp

However, Pakistanis are eligible to apply for medical visas to India.&nbsp

Mansoor has appealed to the Indian government to grant him a medical visa.

Pakistan's Hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed needs a heart transplant after problems began to surface in the pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart. According to media reports, the World Cup-winning hockey goalkeeper has appealed to the Indian government and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to grant him a medical visa. Ahmed helped Pakistan win the 1994 World Cup in Sydney with his penalty stroke push against the Netherlands in the final. In a career spanning from 1986 to 2000, Ahmed 338 international matches. He was adjudged the best goalkeeper by International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1994. India has severed all sporting ties with Pakistan after the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai. However, Pakistanis are eligible to apply for medical visas to India.

Pakistan Hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed seeks India's help for heart transplant

The government&nbsp;on Wednesday said it plans to sell a controlling stake in Air India along with roughly $5.1 billion of the state-run carrier's debt, one of the biggest divestments undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The government plans to sell a 76 per cent stake in the carrier that operates both domestic and international routes, according to official bid documents released by the ministry of civil aviation.

The proposed sale will also include a 100 per cent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 per cent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services.

Bids for the assets are expected to be submitted by May 14.

Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell the loss-making flagship airline after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep it solvent.

But its debt burden of about $8 billion and a bloated cost structure have been a concern.

Previous attempts to offload the airline have been unsuccessful. If Modi can pull this off, it will buttress his credentials as a reformer brave enough to wade into some of the country's most intractable problems.

Air India has six subsidiaries – three of which are loss-making – with assets worth about $4.6 billion. It has an estimated $1.24 billion worth of real estate, including two hotels, where ownership is split among various government entities.

Companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings, have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's operations. Singapore Airlines has also said the company has an open mind about making an initial bid.

The successful bidder would need to retain its stake in Air India and management control of the airline for at least three years, according to the government document. The winning bidder would also need to ensure that substantial ownership and effective control of Air India and Air India Express would continue to be vested in Indian nationals.

Air India was founded in the 1930s and is known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.

The proposed sale will also include a 100 percent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 percent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services.

The government on Wednesday said it plans to sell a controlling stake in Air India along with roughly $5.1 billion of the state-run carrier's debt, one of the biggest divestments undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The government plans to sell a 76 per cent stake in the carrier that operates both domestic and international routes, according to official bid documents released by the ministry of civil aviation. The proposed sale will also include a 100 per cent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 per cent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services. Bids for the assets are expected to be submitted by May 14. Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell the loss-making flagship airline after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep it solvent. But its debt burden of about $8 billion and a bloated cost structure have been a concern. Previous attempts to offload the airline have been unsuccessful. If Modi can pull this off, it will buttress his credentials as a reformer brave enough to wade into some of the country's most intractable problems. Air India has six subsidiaries – three of which are loss-making – with assets worth about $4.6 billion. It has an estimated $1.24 billion worth of real estate, including two hotels, where ownership is split among various government entities. Companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings, have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's operations. Singapore Airlines has also said the company has an open mind about making an initial bid. The successful bidder would need to retain its stake in Air India and management control of the airline for at least three years, according to the government document. The winning bidder would also need to ensure that substantial ownership and effective control of Air India and Air India Express would continue to be vested in Indian nationals. Air India was founded in the 1930s and is known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.

Government to sell 76 per cent stake in state-run carrier Air India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has ruled out any involvement of the government or the security agencies with Jaspal Atwal&#39;s presence at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai.&nbsp;

&quot;The government of India, including security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or invitation issued to him for Canadian High Commissioner&#39;s reception in Delhi,&quot; noted the official statement.&nbsp;

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GoI, including security agencies, had nothing to do with presence of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaspalAtwal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaspalAtwal</a> at event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or invitation issued to him for Canadian High Commissioner&#39;s reception in Delhi. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless &amp;unacceptable: MEA
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968764104021303297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The MEA also noted &quot;any suggestion to the contrary&quot; as &quot;baseless and unacceptable&quot;.

&quot;We have seen the recent exchange in the Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India,&quot; MEA statement noted.

Pro-Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal was invited to dine with Prime Minister Trudeau at a formal event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel. The invite was later rescinded.

Prime Minister Trudeau also received backlash over his wife Sophie Trudeau&#39;s photo with convicted pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal.

Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Randeep S. Sarai took the responsibility for inviting Atwal to Trudeau&#39;s reception dinner in New Delhi. He apologised for the same.&nbsp;

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I want to again apologize for my role in recent unfortunate events. Moving forward, I will be exercising better judgment. As I don&#39;t want to distract from the good work of the Pacific Caucus, I will be stepping down as caucus chair.
&mdash; Randeep S. Sarai (@randeepssarai) <a href="https://twitter.com/randeepssarai/status/968662787491680256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The MEA&#39;s reaction came shortly after&nbsp;the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported the official who suggested the &quot;rogue Indian elements&quot; theory.

&quot;When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it&#39;s because they know it to be true,&quot; Trudeau noted in the Canadian Parliament yesterday.&nbsp;

According to reports, a&nbsp;Canadian official allegedly accused people within the Indian government to have orchestrated Atwal&#39;s invitation.

Jaspal Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

MEA's reaction came shortly after the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported the official who suggested the "rogue Indian elements" theory

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has ruled out any involvement of the government or the security agencies with Jaspal Atwal's presence at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai. "The government of India, including security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or invitation issued to him for Canadian High Commissioner's reception in Delhi," noted the official statement. GoI, including security agencies, had nothing to do with presence of #JaspalAtwal at event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or invitation issued to him for Canadian High Commissioner's reception in Delhi. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless &unacceptable: MEA — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2018 × The MEA also noted "any suggestion to the contrary" as "baseless and unacceptable". "We have seen the recent exchange in the Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India," MEA statement noted. Pro-Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal was invited to dine with Prime Minister Trudeau at a formal event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel. The invite was later rescinded. Prime Minister Trudeau also received backlash over his wife Sophie Trudeau's photo with convicted pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal. Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Randeep S. Sarai took the responsibility for inviting Atwal to Trudeau's reception dinner in New Delhi. He apologised for the same. I want to again apologize for my role in recent unfortunate events. Moving forward, I will be exercising better judgment. As I don't want to distract from the good work of the Pacific Caucus, I will be stepping down as caucus chair. — Randeep S. Sarai (@randeepssarai) February 28, 2018 × The MEA's reaction came shortly after the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported the official who suggested the "rogue Indian elements" theory. "When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it's because they know it to be true," Trudeau noted in the Canadian Parliament yesterday. According to reports, a Canadian official allegedly accused people within the Indian government to have orchestrated Atwal's invitation. Jaspal Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986. (With inputs from ANI)

Indian govt rules out involvement in Jaspal Atwal's presence at Trudeau's event

Canadian journalist Candice Malcolm told WION&nbsp;Thursday that &quot;Canadians are surprised that Trudeau&#39;s reception (in India) hasn&#39;t been very welcoming.&quot; &nbsp;

She added that &quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet Trudeau at the airport and that it looks like the trip is more like a family vacation for Trudeau as opposed to official business.&quot;&nbsp;

The story that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/canada-seems-to-think-india-is-snubbing-trudeau-govt-says-no-33354" target="_blank">Indian government might be &quot;snubbing&quot; Trudeau</a> has been picked up by both the Indian and international media.

Trudeau after all tends to generate a large amount of buzz wherever he goes but that hasn&#39;t been the case here in India.

The problem is that the Canadian prime minister has four Sikh MPs in his cabinet, some of whom India says have links to Khalistani terrorists. And Trudeau has in the past said that they are entitled to support the idea of a free Khalistan.&nbsp;

Things got worse on Thursday when it was discovered that a convicted Khalistani terrorist had been invited to a dinner -- to be held Thursday night -- hosted by the Canadian high commissioner to Delhi.&nbsp;

Canadian officials ran to do some damage control; the invite was rescinded and the Canadian PMO said Jaspal Atwal should <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/khalistani-terrorist-should-never-have-been-invited-to-our-event-canada-33696" target="_blank">never have been invited</a>.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Canadian Minister Kirsty Duncan speaks about dinner reception invite to Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, says, &#39;this person of course shouldn&#39;t have been invited.Invitation has now been rescinded. We are looking into how it happened.&#39; Refuses to answer further questions. <a href="https://t.co/oR1QD9Q69C">pic.twitter.com/oR1QD9Q69C</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966587001339367424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This story that an extreme, radical and convicted criminal being invited as part of Trudeau&#39;s entourage is very disturbing, very upsetting for Canadians. The judgement of our PM is being called into question as to why he would invite such an individual,&quot; Malcom told WION&#39;s Ramesh Ramachandran.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s necessarily expected,&quot; Malcom said when she was asked about the alleged &quot;cold shoulder&quot; given to Trudeau. (The Indian government has refuted the allegation, saying it is not possible for the prime minister to accompany every visiting head of state.) &nbsp;

&quot;When our PM goes somewhere, it&#39;s expected that people get excited. But in India, his political activities in Canada are catching up with him and it&#39;s totally reasonable for the Indian government to have issues with the way that Trudeau is acting by having partisan political events with his Liberal Party that include Khalistani radicals and separatists that are causing problems in India,&quot; Malcolm added.&nbsp;

Malcolm was asked why Trudeau might be reluctant to call out the Khalistani leaders on their separatism.&nbsp;

&quot;Canadians can express their own political views but as the PM, Trudeau has a higher responsibility and it&#39;s irresponsible for him to be pandering and seemingly associating with extremists and terrorists by going to events where he is pictured with so-called murderers or extremists and terrorists. This is very divisive and our PM should have better judgement and should stay away from those types of events,&quot; she answered.&nbsp;

She also offered an answer as to why that might be the case, saying: &quot;Justin Trudeau has a large Sikh constituency in Canada. He relies on Sikh votes, especially in Toronto and Vancouver. Most Sikhs in Canada are not extremists, not terrorists. They don&#39;t believe in this idea of an independent Khalistan but some members do. And Trudeau doen&#39;s seem to have the right judgement in drawing that distinction. And it&#39;s not right for Canadians to get involved in other countries&#39; internal politics. Canadians wouldn&#39;t like world leaders, say PM Modi, spending time and supporting Quebec separatists in our country. So we should have that respect for India and Trudeau and the Liberal Party should stay away from extremists like the Khalistani groups.

Canadian journalist Candice Malcolm spoke with WION's Ramesh Ramachandran

Canadian journalist Candice Malcolm told WION Thursday that "Canadians are surprised that Trudeau's reception (in India) hasn't been very welcoming." She added that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet Trudeau at the airport and that it looks like the trip is more like a family vacation for Trudeau as opposed to official business." The story that the Indian government might be "snubbing" Trudeau has been picked up by both the Indian and international media. Trudeau after all tends to generate a large amount of buzz wherever he goes but that hasn't been the case here in India. The problem is that the Canadian prime minister has four Sikh MPs in his cabinet, some of whom India says have links to Khalistani terrorists. And Trudeau has in the past said that they are entitled to support the idea of a free Khalistan. Things got worse on Thursday when it was discovered that a convicted Khalistani terrorist had been invited to a dinner -- to be held Thursday night -- hosted by the Canadian high commissioner to Delhi. Canadian officials ran to do some damage control; the invite was rescinded and the Canadian PMO said Jaspal Atwal should never have been invited. #WATCH Canadian Minister Kirsty Duncan speaks about dinner reception invite to Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, says, 'this person of course shouldn't have been invited.Invitation has now been rescinded. We are looking into how it happened.' Refuses to answer further questions. pic.twitter.com/oR1QD9Q69C — ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018 × "This story that an extreme, radical and convicted criminal being invited as part of Trudeau's entourage is very disturbing, very upsetting for Canadians. The judgement of our PM is being called into question as to why he would invite such an individual," Malcom told WION's Ramesh Ramachandran. "I don't think it's necessarily expected," Malcom said when she was asked about the alleged "cold shoulder" given to Trudeau. (The Indian government has refuted the allegation, saying it is not possible for the prime minister to accompany every visiting head of state.) "When our PM goes somewhere, it's expected that people get excited. But in India, his political activities in Canada are catching up with him and it's totally reasonable for the Indian government to have issues with the way that Trudeau is acting by having partisan political events with his Liberal Party that include Khalistani radicals and separatists that are causing problems in India," Malcolm added. Malcolm was asked why Trudeau might be reluctant to call out the Khalistani leaders on their separatism. "Canadians can express their own political views but as the PM, Trudeau has a higher responsibility and it's irresponsible for him to be pandering and seemingly associating with extremists and terrorists by going to events where he is pictured with so-called murderers or extremists and terrorists. This is very divisive and our PM should have better judgement and should stay away from those types of events," she answered. She also offered an answer as to why that might be the case, saying: "Justin Trudeau has a large Sikh constituency in Canada. He relies on Sikh votes, especially in Toronto and Vancouver. Most Sikhs in Canada are not extremists, not terrorists. They don't believe in this idea of an independent Khalistan but some members do. And Trudeau doen's seem to have the right judgement in drawing that distinction. And it's not right for Canadians to get involved in other countries' internal politics. Canadians wouldn't like world leaders, say PM Modi, spending time and supporting Quebec separatists in our country. So we should have that respect for India and Trudeau and the Liberal Party should stay away from extremists like the Khalistani groups.

'Canadians surprised Trudeau's reception hasn't been welcoming'

The National Investigating Agency today accused Pakistan-based terror outfits of &quot;conspiring to wage war against Indian government&quot; by providing funds to foment trouble in the Kashmir Valley.

The agency told Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sherawat that Pakistan-based outfits have been passing on money through hawala channels and alleged that officials of country&#39;s High Commission were also playing an active role.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on January 18 filed its 12,794-page charge sheet, along with annexures, against 12 people including Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin. Both Saeed and Salahuddin are absconding, it said.

&quot;A conspiracy under the supervision of Pakistan-based organisations was hatched. The accused persons were working in connivance with Saeed and Salahuddin to raise funds for the terror activities,&quot; special public prosecutor and senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for NIA, said.

The submissions were made by the agency when the court asked what evidence they had gathered to try the accused.

The agency alleged that High Commission officials were passing money through arrested businessman Zahoor Watali, who would hand it over to separatists after deducting his cut. He is currently in judicial custody.

Besides Pakistan-based terrorists Saeed and Salahuddin, and Watali, the agency has also named hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani&#39;s son-in-law Altaf Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and photo journalist Kamran Yusuf, who has been identified along with Javed Ahmad Bhat as a stone pelter.

Hurriyat Conference leaders Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Mohammad Akbar Khanday and Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal have also been charged by the agency.

It alleged that the arrested accused were associated with &quot;Hurriyat Conference and were prominent members of the society and that they had conspired to generate funds for the terror activities to oppose the lawful government of Jammu and Kashmir&quot;.

The NIA also submitted that a calendar, allegedly issued by the Hurriyat Conference, was recovered from Altaf Ahmad Funtoosh, mentioned the activities they conduct.

Luthra said the &quot;people who get hurt or killed in action by the security forces were hailed as martyrs&quot; and claim &quot;freedom as their goal&quot;. &quot;It&#39;s a misconceived cause,&quot; he said.

Letter heads of Hizbul Mujahideen were recovered from some of the arrested accused, the agency claimed, adding that Geelani had termed Afzal Guru a hero of Kashmir.

The court posted the matter for consideration of the charge sheet on February 1.

The NIA has alleged that Watali brought money from offshore accounts without any explanation. &quot;There is an anti terror operation and suddenly the stone-pelting is organised. Mob is not spontaneous but have been funded by these organisations,&quot; the agency said.

The evidence also include the videos of the sting operation done by some news channels showing how the funds are raised, the NIA claimed.

The ten arrested accused, who are currently in judicial custody, were produced before the court.

The NIA said that a number of places were searched during the investigation which led to the recovery of various incriminating documents and other evidences which relate them to the terror organisations and the funding for the terror activities.

The charge sheet has charged all the 12 accused persons with criminal conspiracy, sedition, and under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency told Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sherawat that Pakistan-based outfits have been passing on money through hawala channels and alleged that officials of country's High Commission were also playing an active role

The National Investigating Agency today accused Pakistan-based terror outfits of "conspiring to wage war against Indian government" by providing funds to foment trouble in the Kashmir Valley. The agency told Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sherawat that Pakistan-based outfits have been passing on money through hawala channels and alleged that officials of country's High Commission were also playing an active role. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on January 18 filed its 12,794-page charge sheet, along with annexures, against 12 people including Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin. Both Saeed and Salahuddin are absconding, it said. "A conspiracy under the supervision of Pakistan-based organisations was hatched. The accused persons were working in connivance with Saeed and Salahuddin to raise funds for the terror activities," special public prosecutor and senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for NIA, said. The submissions were made by the agency when the court asked what evidence they had gathered to try the accused. The agency alleged that High Commission officials were passing money through arrested businessman Zahoor Watali, who would hand it over to separatists after deducting his cut. He is currently in judicial custody. Besides Pakistan-based terrorists Saeed and Salahuddin, and Watali, the agency has also named hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and photo journalist Kamran Yusuf, who has been identified along with Javed Ahmad Bhat as a stone pelter. Hurriyat Conference leaders Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Mohammad Akbar Khanday and Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal have also been charged by the agency. It alleged that the arrested accused were associated with "Hurriyat Conference and were prominent members of the society and that they had conspired to generate funds for the terror activities to oppose the lawful government of Jammu and Kashmir". The NIA also submitted that a calendar, allegedly issued by the Hurriyat Conference, was recovered from Altaf Ahmad Funtoosh, mentioned the activities they conduct. Luthra said the "people who get hurt or killed in action by the security forces were hailed as martyrs" and claim "freedom as their goal". "It's a misconceived cause," he said. Letter heads of Hizbul Mujahideen were recovered from some of the arrested accused, the agency claimed, adding that Geelani had termed Afzal Guru a hero of Kashmir. The court posted the matter for consideration of the charge sheet on February 1. The NIA has alleged that Watali brought money from offshore accounts without any explanation. "There is an anti terror operation and suddenly the stone-pelting is organised. Mob is not spontaneous but have been funded by these organisations," the agency said. The evidence also include the videos of the sting operation done by some news channels showing how the funds are raised, the NIA claimed. The ten arrested accused, who are currently in judicial custody, were produced before the court. The NIA said that a number of places were searched during the investigation which led to the recovery of various incriminating documents and other evidences which relate them to the terror organisations and the funding for the terror activities. The charge sheet has charged all the 12 accused persons with criminal conspiracy, sedition, and under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

NIA accuses Pakistan-based terror outfits of 'conspiring to wage war against Indian government'

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday tabled the economic survey in Parliament which noted that the reform measures undertaken in 2017-18 can be strengthened further in 2018-19. The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth and nearly three percentage points higher than that of emerging market and developing economies.

It said that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3 per cent from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world.

Here are the key takeaways from economic survey 2017-18:

GROWTH

<ul>
	<li>India&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018-19 pegged at 7-7.5 per cent, current high oil prices a major concern.</li>
	<li>GDP to expand by 6.75% in 2017-18, re-instating India as world&#39;s fastest growing major economy.</li>
	<li>Economic management will be challenging in the coming year.</li>
	<li>Biggest source of upside to growth to be from exports.</li>
	<li>Cyclical conditions may lead to lower tax and non-tax revenues in 2017-18.</li>
	<li>Private investment poised for rebound.</li>
	<li>2017-18 farm sector growth seen at 2.1 per cent.</li>
</ul>

FISCAL DEFICIT

<ul>
	<li>Target for fiscal consolidation specially in a pre-election year can carry a high risk of credibility</li>
	<li>Current account deficit for 2017/18 expected to average 1.5-2 per cent of GDP</li>
	<li>Pause in general govt fiscal consolidation cannot be ruled out in 2017-18</li>
	<li>Suggests modest (fiscal) consolidation that signals a return to the path of gradual but steady deficit reductions</li>
</ul>

INFLATION, POLICY RATES

<ul>
	<li>Persistently high oil prices remain a key risk, to affect inflation</li>
	<li>If inflation doesn`t deviate from current levels policy rates can be expected to remain stable</li>
	<li>Average CPI inflation seen at 3.7 per cent in 2017-18</li>
</ul>

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

<ul>
	<li>Economy accelerated in second half of current fiscal due to GST, bank recapitalisation, liberalisation of FDI and higher exports.</li>
	<li>Gross Value Added (GVA) expected to grow by 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 as compared to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17.</li>
	<li>Preliminary analysis of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) data reveals 50% increase in the number of indirect taxpayers.</li>
	<li>There is need to address pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellate and judicial arenas.</li>
	<li>&quot;Policy vigilance&quot; in coming year if high oil prices persist or stock prices correct sharply.</li>
	<li>India has performed better on 14 out of 17 key indicators.</li>
</ul>

The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday tabled the economic survey in Parliament which noted that the reform measures undertaken in 2017-18 can be strengthened further in 2018-19. The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth and nearly three percentage points higher than that of emerging market and developing economies. It said that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3 per cent from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world. Here are the key takeaways from economic survey 2017-18: GROWTH India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018-19 pegged at 7-7.5 per cent, current high oil prices a major concern. GDP to expand by 6.75% in 2017-18, re-instating India as world's fastest growing major economy. Economic management will be challenging in the coming year. Biggest source of upside to growth to be from exports. Cyclical conditions may lead to lower tax and non-tax revenues in 2017-18. Private investment poised for rebound. 2017-18 farm sector growth seen at 2.1 per cent. FISCAL DEFICIT Target for fiscal consolidation specially in a pre-election year can carry a high risk of credibility Current account deficit for 2017/18 expected to average 1.5-2 per cent of GDP Pause in general govt fiscal consolidation cannot be ruled out in 2017-18 Suggests modest (fiscal) consolidation that signals a return to the path of gradual but steady deficit reductions INFLATION, POLICY RATES Persistently high oil prices remain a key risk, to affect inflation If inflation doesn`t deviate from current levels policy rates can be expected to remain stable Average CPI inflation seen at 3.7 per cent in 2017-18 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Economy accelerated in second half of current fiscal due to GST, bank recapitalisation, liberalisation of FDI and higher exports. Gross Value Added (GVA) expected to grow by 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 as compared to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17. Preliminary analysis of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) data reveals 50% increase in the number of indirect taxpayers. There is need to address pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellate and judicial arenas. "Policy vigilance" in coming year if high oil prices persist or stock prices correct sharply. India has performed better on 14 out of 17 key indicators.

Big takeaways from economic survey

The India government has sent tax notices to tens of thousands of people dealing in cryptocurrency after a nationwide survey showed more than $3.5 billion worth of transactions have been conducted over a 17-month period, the income tax department said.

Tech-savvy young investors, real estate players and jewellers are among those invested in bitcoin and other virtual currencies, tax officials told after gathering data from nine exchanges in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune.

Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate cryptocurrency trading, and policymakers are expected to discuss the matter at a G20 summit in Argentina in March.

The Indian government has issued repeated warnings against digital currency investments, saying these were like &quot;Ponzi schemes&quot; that offer unusually high returns to early investors.

But it has not so far imposed curbs on an industry estimated to be adding 200,000 users in India every month.

BR&nbsp;Balakrishnan, a director general of investigations at the income tax department in the southern state of Karnataka, said notices were sent following the survey to assess the penetration and patterns of virtual currency trade.

&quot;We cannot turn a blind eye. It would have been disastrous to wait until the final verdict was out on its legality,&quot; he told.

The tax department has asked people dealing in bitcoin and other virtual currencies such as ethereum and ripple to pay tax on capital gains. They have also asked for details about their total holdings and the source of funds in the tax notice.

&quot;We found that investors were not reflecting it on their tax returns and in many cases, the investment was not accounted for,&quot; Balakrishnan said.

Bitcoin, the world&#39;s biggest cryptocurrency, soared more than 1,700 percent last year, hitting a record high just shy of $20,000 as institutional and retail investors around the world snapped up the virtual currency.

Its huge gains have attracted the attention of global regulators tasked with protecting investors from fraud.

In recent weeks, Japan and China have made noises about a regulatory crackdown, while South Korean policymakers said they were considering shutting down domestic virtual currency exchanges.

Regulation

An Indian finance ministry official said a committee was looking into the possibility of imposing restrictions on virtual currencies and that eventually, parliament would have to legislate a regulatory regime.

Officials at Zebpay, India&#39;s leading bitcoin exchange, said the industry was adding near 200,000 users every month with an estimated trade volume of about 20 billion Indian rupees ($315 million).

&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Many of our customers are treating digital currency like gold,&quot; said Zebpay co-founder Saurabh Agarwal.

Aman Kalra, marketing head of Coinsecure, a bitcoin exchange in New Delhi, said more than 150 bitcoins were changing hands every week through its platform. The company has 100,000 registered users and is now launching a platform to sell ethereum and other digital currencies.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;I don&#39;t think anyone in the government should label our business as a &#39;Ponzi scheme&#39;, we are not doing anything illegal,&quot; said Kalra.

Tax inspectors said they sought help from experts in the blockchain, the technology that underpins bitcoin, to conduct the survey.

In some cases, tax officials themselves participated in the trade to identify loopholes after they found investors had poured in billions of dollars through unregulated exchanges.

The biggest worry for New Delhi, the finance ministry official said, was how to protect investors trading on offshore exchanges.

Already hundreds of investors have gone to the police and courts with complaints of transactions in virtual currencies that turned out to be fraudulent, said Pavan Duggal, a Supreme Court lawyer specialising in cybercrimes.

&quot;Considering cryptocurrencies are here to stay, the government must consider granting limited legality while ensuring that these are not used for crypto crimes,&quot; he said.

Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate cryptocurrency trading, and policymakers are expected to discuss the matter at a G20 summit in Argentina in March.

The India government has sent tax notices to tens of thousands of people dealing in cryptocurrency after a nationwide survey showed more than $3.5 billion worth of transactions have been conducted over a 17-month period, the income tax department said. Tech-savvy young investors, real estate players and jewellers are among those invested in bitcoin and other virtual currencies, tax officials told after gathering data from nine exchanges in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune. Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate cryptocurrency trading, and policymakers are expected to discuss the matter at a G20 summit in Argentina in March. The Indian government has issued repeated warnings against digital currency investments, saying these were like "Ponzi schemes" that offer unusually high returns to early investors. But it has not so far imposed curbs on an industry estimated to be adding 200,000 users in India every month. BR Balakrishnan, a director general of investigations at the income tax department in the southern state of Karnataka, said notices were sent following the survey to assess the penetration and patterns of virtual currency trade. "We cannot turn a blind eye. It would have been disastrous to wait until the final verdict was out on its legality," he told. The tax department has asked people dealing in bitcoin and other virtual currencies such as ethereum and ripple to pay tax on capital gains. They have also asked for details about their total holdings and the source of funds in the tax notice. "We found that investors were not reflecting it on their tax returns and in many cases, the investment was not accounted for," Balakrishnan said. Bitcoin, the world's biggest cryptocurrency, soared more than 1,700 percent last year, hitting a record high just shy of $20,000 as institutional and retail investors around the world snapped up the virtual currency. Its huge gains have attracted the attention of global regulators tasked with protecting investors from fraud. In recent weeks, Japan and China have made noises about a regulatory crackdown, while South Korean policymakers said they were considering shutting down domestic virtual currency exchanges. Regulation An Indian finance ministry official said a committee was looking into the possibility of imposing restrictions on virtual currencies and that eventually, parliament would have to legislate a regulatory regime. Officials at Zebpay, India's leading bitcoin exchange, said the industry was adding near 200,000 users every month with an estimated trade volume of about 20 billion Indian rupees ($315 million). "Many of our customers are treating digital currency like gold," said Zebpay co-founder Saurabh Agarwal. Aman Kalra, marketing head of Coinsecure, a bitcoin exchange in New Delhi, said more than 150 bitcoins were changing hands every week through its platform. The company has 100,000 registered users and is now launching a platform to sell ethereum and other digital currencies. "I don't think anyone in the government should label our business as a 'Ponzi scheme', we are not doing anything illegal," said Kalra. Tax inspectors said they sought help from experts in the blockchain, the technology that underpins bitcoin, to conduct the survey. In some cases, tax officials themselves participated in the trade to identify loopholes after they found investors had poured in billions of dollars through unregulated exchanges. The biggest worry for New Delhi, the finance ministry official said, was how to protect investors trading on offshore exchanges. Already hundreds of investors have gone to the police and courts with complaints of transactions in virtual currencies that turned out to be fraudulent, said Pavan Duggal, a Supreme Court lawyer specialising in cybercrimes. "Considering cryptocurrencies are here to stay, the government must consider granting limited legality while ensuring that these are not used for crypto crimes," he said.

Govt sends tax notices to cryptocurrency investors as trading hits $3.5 billion

The Supreme Court has given six weeks&#39; time to the Central government to clear their stand on Ram Setu.

The central government will have to file an affidavit within six weeks&nbsp;to clarify if they want to remove Ram Setu or protect it.&nbsp;

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Ram Setu case: Supreme Court gives six weeks&#39; time to the Central government to file affidavit on their stand on Ram Setu. The Central Government will have to clarify if they want to remove Ram Setu or protect it.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929953779318792193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Ram Setu is a continuous stretch of limestone shoals between Rameshwaram Island, southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Northwestern coast of Sri Lanka.

Hindus believe that Ram Setu is the same stretch of land that was constructed by Lord Rama and his army of apes to reach Lanka.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Happy that today SC directed affidavit be filed in 6 wks by Union Govt on when they will decide Ram Setu will be Heritage Monument.
&mdash; Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/929957162247434240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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SC gives Centre&#39;s lawyer 6 weeks&#39; time to get instructions and clarify govt&#39;s stand on the question whether the ancient Ram Sethu or the Adam&#39;s Bridge will be &quot;touched&quot; in the implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project <a href="https://twitter.com/the_hindu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@the_hindu</a>
&mdash; Krishnadas Rajagopal (@kdrajagopal) <a href="https://twitter.com/kdrajagopal/status/929954739659436032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Legendary evidence is that &quot;Ram Setu&quot; is a universal truth because science also confirms it, hence its relevance is even more important.
&mdash; Arvind Belewar (@ArvindBelewar) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindBelewar/status/929963532501651456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The central government will have to file an affidavit within six weeks?to clarify if they want to remove Ram Setu or protect it

The Supreme Court has given six weeks' time to the Central government to clear their stand on Ram Setu. The central government will have to file an affidavit within six weeks to clarify if they want to remove Ram Setu or protect it. Ram Setu case: Supreme Court gives six weeks' time to the Central government to file affidavit on their stand on Ram Setu. The Central Government will have to clarify if they want to remove Ram Setu or protect it. — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × Ram Setu is a continuous stretch of limestone shoals between Rameshwaram Island, southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Hindus believe that Ram Setu is the same stretch of land that was constructed by Lord Rama and his army of apes to reach Lanka. Happy that today SC directed affidavit be filed in 6 wks by Union Govt on when they will decide Ram Setu will be Heritage Monument. — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) November 13, 2017 × SC gives Centre's lawyer 6 weeks' time to get instructions and clarify govt's stand on the question whether the ancient Ram Sethu or the Adam's Bridge will be "touched" in the implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project @the_hindu — Krishnadas Rajagopal (@kdrajagopal) November 13, 2017 × Legendary evidence is that "Ram Setu" is a universal truth because science also confirms it, hence its relevance is even more important. — Arvind Belewar (@ArvindBelewar) November 13, 2017 ×

SC asks government to clear stand on Ram Setu within six weeks

The Centre will soon grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees who are currently living in camps in the Northeast, officials said today (September 13).

The Supreme Court had in 2015 directed the central government to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees, who migrated to India from the erstwhile East Pakistan five decades ago and are&nbsp;mostly staying in Arunachal Pradesh.

The issue of granting citizenship was discussed at a meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

&quot;The Supreme Court order on Chakmas and Hajongs was discussed in the meeting. We need to implement the order as early as possible,&quot; a home ministry official said.

The Arunachal Pradesh government had challenged the top court order to no avail, after which both the Central and state governments started consultations to find a solution to the issue.

Citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajongs has been refused by the civil society in Arunachal Pradesh on the argument that it would change the demography of the state.

The government said today it is trying to find a workable solution by proposing that the refugees will not be given rights, including ownership of land, enjoyed by Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.

They may, however, be given &quot;Inner Line permits&quot;&nbsp;which are required for non-locals in Arunachal Pradesh&nbsp;to travel and work.

The refugees&#39;&nbsp;population has increased from about 5,000 in 1964-69 to one lakh. At present, they don&#39;t have citizenship and land rights but are provided basic amenities by the state government.

The initiative on the Chakma and Hajong refugees comes amid the ongoing row over the Central government&#39;s plans to deport Rohingya Muslims, who came to India due to alleged persecution in Myanmar.

Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, previously said the Rohingyas are illegal immigrants. He also said that India absorbed the maximum number of refugees in the world.

On Monday, in Geneva, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein flayed any attempts by India to deport Rohingyas to Myanmar when the ethnic minority community was facing violence in their country.&nbsp;

Chakmas and Hajongs, originally residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the erstwhile East Pakistan, left their homeland when it was submerged by the Kaptai dam project in the Sixties.

The Chakmas, who are Buddhists, and the Hajongs, who are Hindus, also allegedly faced religious persecution and entered India through the then Lushai Hills district of Assam, now in Mizoram.

The Centre moved the majority of them to the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), which is now Arunachal Pradesh.

In 2015, the Supreme Court had directed the Central government to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees, mostly staying in Arunachal Pradesh

The Centre will soon grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees who are currently living in camps in the Northeast, officials said today (September 13). The Supreme Court had in 2015 directed the central government to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees, who migrated to India from the erstwhile East Pakistan five decades ago and are mostly staying in Arunachal Pradesh. The issue of granting citizenship was discussed at a meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. "The Supreme Court order on Chakmas and Hajongs was discussed in the meeting. We need to implement the order as early as possible," a home ministry official said. The Arunachal Pradesh government had challenged the top court order to no avail, after which both the Central and state governments started consultations to find a solution to the issue. Citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajongs has been refused by the civil society in Arunachal Pradesh on the argument that it would change the demography of the state. The government said today it is trying to find a workable solution by proposing that the refugees will not be given rights, including ownership of land, enjoyed by Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. They may, however, be given "Inner Line permits" which are required for non-locals in Arunachal Pradesh to travel and work. The refugees' population has increased from about 5,000 in 1964-69 to one lakh. At present, they don't have citizenship and land rights but are provided basic amenities by the state government. The initiative on the Chakma and Hajong refugees comes amid the ongoing row over the Central government's plans to deport Rohingya Muslims, who came to India due to alleged persecution in Myanmar. Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, previously said the Rohingyas are illegal immigrants. He also said that India absorbed the maximum number of refugees in the world. On Monday, in Geneva, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein flayed any attempts by India to deport Rohingyas to Myanmar when the ethnic minority community was facing violence in their country. Chakmas and Hajongs, originally residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the erstwhile East Pakistan, left their homeland when it was submerged by the Kaptai dam project in the Sixties. The Chakmas, who are Buddhists, and the Hajongs, who are Hindus, also allegedly faced religious persecution and entered India through the then Lushai Hills district of Assam, now in Mizoram. The Centre moved the majority of them to the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), which is now Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian government set to grant citizenship to Chakma refugees

By: Diya Dutta&nbsp;&amp; Tomojit Basu

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa&nbsp;met in Xiamen, China, between September 3rd and 5th at the Ninth BRICS Summit, with the group looking to further its policy influence on developing an alternative international cooperation discourse led by the global South.&nbsp;

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to reimagine the international development cooperation/assistance architecture with a focus on sustainability, equality, and eradication of poverty. In this context, the BRICS nations, who are significant aid providers today, assume a central role, more so as actors having endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). &nbsp;

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<h5>Countries of the global South share knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to meet their development ambitions through concerted efforts.</h5>
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Development cooperation, or more specifically South South Cooperation (SSC), is a key foreign policy tool in this regard. South-South Cooperation is an important element of the diverse range of international cooperation.&nbsp;It has developed as an expression of solidarity among developing countries,&nbsp;who are themselves receivers of foreign aid. It refers to a broad framework of collaboration among these countries in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains, by and large, based on their shared experiences. Involving two or more countries for collaboration in meeting their particular development needs can take place on a bilateral, regional, intra-regional or inter-regional basis.

Countries of the global South share knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to meet their development ambitions through concerted efforts. Countries like India, China and Brazil have been giving development assistance for over five&nbsp;decades and are not new to the concept. Such partnerships and resource flows are marked by non-conditionality and inclusivity and are demand-driven in nature.&nbsp;

Given that aid budgets, particularly grants, are sourced from taxpayers&rsquo; money, the need for Southern donors to be held accountable and transparent in the processes of development cooperation is a cardinal issue which needs to be addressed.&nbsp;

As it stands, reporting mechanisms for resource provision and utilisation, assessments of social and environmental impacts, contraction and sub-contraction norms, and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework, among other subjects, are either weak, non-existent, or incoherent among various actors.

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<h5>India&rsquo;s generous development cooperation programme has expanded by more than 300 per cent over the last decade.</h5>
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India and SSC challenges to assessment

A number of factors have aided India&rsquo;s transformation from a net aid-recipient country to its emergence as a major development assistance facilitator over the last 25 years.&nbsp;

Largely riding on the positive effects of economic liberalisation which saw the country grow at a near-7 per cent average between 1991 and 2016, India&rsquo;s generous development cooperation programme has expanded by more than 300 per cent over the last decade. As of the last fiscal, India contributes more to development cooperation efforts than 12 out of 30 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development&rsquo;s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), a group comprising, primarily, of wealthy &lsquo;Northern&rsquo; donors. &nbsp;&nbsp;

With a foreign aid programme amounting to more than USD 1 billion each year between 2013 and 2017, and coupled with its extensive international peacekeeping and humanitarian commitments, India is a major SSC actor and has facilitated the promotion of infrastructure and industrial development, capacity building and socio-cultural welfare, in its immediate neighbourhood but even beyond, most notably in African nations. Its soft power projection through technical assistance and knowledge sharing programmes, educational support and healthcare training, has helped strengthen its footing geopolitically.&nbsp;

But how is one to gauge the effectiveness of resources flowing to India&rsquo;s Southern partners? How does one situate efficiency when projects are delayed or see cost overruns? Ostensibly meant to facilitate development, just how much has Indian aid been pro-poor in nature?&nbsp;

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The methodological challenges to answer these questions are manifold which, in turn, makes analysing donor accountability a challenge. While successive High-Level Forums on aid effectiveness &ndash; held in Rome (2002), Paris (2005), Accra (2008), and Busan (2011) &ndash; saw DAC and non-DAC donors agree on principles, such as developing country ownership, SSC concepts continue to compete with traditional North-South development assistance models.&nbsp;

Take, for example, the issue of measuring SSC/aid flows. SSC premised on mutual benefit, takes into account&nbsp;aid promoting commercial interests, a departure from the OECD&rsquo;s practice of separating donors&rsquo; poverty reduction activities from its commercial undertakings. A great deal of SSC is also &lsquo;in kind&rsquo; or involves a transfer of technical expertise shaped by emerging donors&rsquo; own development experience, which is difficult to quantify monetarily. &nbsp;

Challenges such as these make global norms setting in the development assistance architecture difficult at a juncture when global efforts for inclusive development require closer coordination. While competing interpretations of development cooperation must be welcomed, evolving a common reporting mechanism among Southern providers would help in the better examination of aid effectiveness and help separate best practices from good ones. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Time for a white paper on India&rsquo;s Foreign Aid objectives

There is a need to democratise the aid assistance programme and make efforts to facilitate greater public understanding of India&rsquo;s aid commitments. The process of setting in motion a green or white paper on aid to spelling out India&rsquo;s foreign aid objectives and strategy would be a good starting point for the public to better comprehend SSC. Improving the access to disaggregated data on projects, feasibility reports and impact assessments or audits would make the development cooperation process vastly more accountable.&nbsp;

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<h5>The Indian Government would also benefit from decades of experience and expertise among CSOs across various fields of international development including poverty reduction, women&rsquo;s empowerment, social protection and community development.</h5>
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Public participation would also be welcome at a time when India&rsquo;s overseas commitments are likely to keep expanding. The inclusion of civil society organisations (CSOs) in a multi-stakeholder setting to feed into policy formulation &ndash; a principle outlined by the Busan Partnership Agreement (2012) &ndash; would make systems more transparent and accountable. The Indian Government would also benefit from decades of experience and expertise among CSOs across various fields of international development, including poverty reduction, women&rsquo;s empowerment, social protection and community development. &nbsp;

Ultimately, civil society actors act as conduits of information between the administration and the public. If the Indian taxpayer is to help steer efficient development outcomes among geopolitical partners, it would be useful to know just how those resources are utilised and how processes could be ameliorated.

As India has participated in the ninth BRICS Summit this September, we take a closer look at India?s emergence as a leader in the Foreign Aid Architecture, and the questions of transparency, accountability and the role of civil society.?

By: Diya Dutta & Tomojit Basu The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa met in Xiamen, China, between September 3rd and 5th at the Ninth BRICS Summit, with the group looking to further its policy influence on developing an alternative international cooperation discourse led by the global South. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to reimagine the international development cooperation/assistance architecture with a focus on sustainability, equality, and eradication of poverty. In this context, the BRICS nations, who are significant aid providers today, assume a central role, more so as actors having endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Countries of the global South share knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to meet their development ambitions through concerted efforts. × Development cooperation, or more specifically South South Cooperation (SSC), is a key foreign policy tool in this regard. South-South Cooperation is an important element of the diverse range of international cooperation. It has developed as an expression of solidarity among developing countries, who are themselves receivers of foreign aid. It refers to a broad framework of collaboration among these countries in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains, by and large, based on their shared experiences. Involving two or more countries for collaboration in meeting their particular development needs can take place on a bilateral, regional, intra-regional or inter-regional basis. Countries of the global South share knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to meet their development ambitions through concerted efforts. Countries like India, China and Brazil have been giving development assistance for over five decades and are not new to the concept. Such partnerships and resource flows are marked by non-conditionality and inclusivity and are demand-driven in nature. Given that aid budgets, particularly grants, are sourced from taxpayers’ money, the need for Southern donors to be held accountable and transparent in the processes of development cooperation is a cardinal issue which needs to be addressed. As it stands, reporting mechanisms for resource provision and utilisation, assessments of social and environmental impacts, contraction and sub-contraction norms, and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework, among other subjects, are either weak, non-existent, or incoherent among various actors. India’s generous development cooperation programme has expanded by more than 300 per cent over the last decade. × India and SSC challenges to assessment A number of factors have aided India’s transformation from a net aid-recipient country to its emergence as a major development assistance facilitator over the last 25 years. Largely riding on the positive effects of economic liberalisation which saw the country grow at a near-7 per cent average between 1991 and 2016, India’s generous development cooperation programme has expanded by more than 300 per cent over the last decade. As of the last fiscal, India contributes more to development cooperation efforts than 12 out of 30 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), a group comprising, primarily, of wealthy ‘Northern’ donors. With a foreign aid programme amounting to more than USD 1 billion each year between 2013 and 2017, and coupled with its extensive international peacekeeping and humanitarian commitments, India is a major SSC actor and has facilitated the promotion of infrastructure and industrial development, capacity building and socio-cultural welfare, in its immediate neighbourhood but even beyond, most notably in African nations. Its soft power projection through technical assistance and knowledge sharing programmes, educational support and healthcare training, has helped strengthen its footing geopolitically. But how is one to gauge the effectiveness of resources flowing to India’s Southern partners? How does one situate efficiency when projects are delayed or see cost overruns? Ostensibly meant to facilitate development, just how much has Indian aid been pro-poor in nature? There is a need to democratise the aid assistance programme and make efforts to facilitate greater public understanding of India’s aid commitments. × The methodological challenges to answer these questions are manifold which, in turn, makes analysing donor accountability a challenge. While successive High-Level Forums on aid effectiveness – held in Rome (2002), Paris (2005), Accra (2008), and Busan (2011) – saw DAC and non-DAC donors agree on principles, such as developing country ownership, SSC concepts continue to compete with traditional North-South development assistance models. Take, for example, the issue of measuring SSC/aid flows. SSC premised on mutual benefit, takes into account aid promoting commercial interests, a departure from the OECD’s practice of separating donors’ poverty reduction activities from its commercial undertakings. A great deal of SSC is also ‘in kind’ or involves a transfer of technical expertise shaped by emerging donors’ own development experience, which is difficult to quantify monetarily. Challenges such as these make global norms setting in the development assistance architecture difficult at a juncture when global efforts for inclusive development require closer coordination. While competing interpretations of development cooperation must be welcomed, evolving a common reporting mechanism among Southern providers would help in the better examination of aid effectiveness and help separate best practices from good ones. Time for a white paper on India’s Foreign Aid objectives There is a need to democratise the aid assistance programme and make efforts to facilitate greater public understanding of India’s aid commitments. The process of setting in motion a green or white paper on aid to spelling out India’s foreign aid objectives and strategy would be a good starting point for the public to better comprehend SSC. Improving the access to disaggregated data on projects, feasibility reports and impact assessments or audits would make the development cooperation process vastly more accountable. The Indian Government would also benefit from decades of experience and expertise among CSOs across various fields of international development including poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, social protection and community development. × Public participation would also be welcome at a time when India’s overseas commitments are likely to keep expanding. The inclusion of civil society organisations (CSOs) in a multi-stakeholder setting to feed into policy formulation – a principle outlined by the Busan Partnership Agreement (2012) – would make systems more transparent and accountable. The Indian Government would also benefit from decades of experience and expertise among CSOs across various fields of international development, including poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, social protection and community development. Ultimately, civil society actors act as conduits of information between the administration and the public. If the Indian taxpayer is to help steer efficient development outcomes among geopolitical partners, it would be useful to know just how those resources are utilised and how processes could be ameliorated.

How India can emerge as the global leader in bringing sustainable development

The government has made quoting of the biometric Aadhaar card mandatory for opening of bank accounts and for financial transactions of Rs 50,000 and above.

Existing bank account holders have been asked to furnish the Aadhaar number by December 31, 2017, failing which the account will cease to be operational, according to a revenue department notification.

The Aadhaar card is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India.

The government has made linking of the Aadhaar number with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) compulsory in this year&#39;s budget to avoid individuals from using multiple PANs to evade taxes.

A notification issued by the government amended the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005.&nbsp;

The notification manded the quoting of Aadhaar along with the PAN or Form 60 by individuals, companies and partnership firms for all financial transactions of Rs 50,000 or above. 
 
After June 1, a person who does not have an Aadhaar number at the time of opening of account, will have to furnish proof of application of enrolment for Aadhaar and submit the Aadhaar number to the bank within six months of opening of the bank account.

&quot;In case the client, eligible to be enrolled for Aadhaar and obtain a PAN... Does not submit the Aadhaar number or the PAN at the time of commencement of an account based relationship with a reporting entity, the client shall submit the same within a period of 6 months from the date of the commencement of the account based relationship.

&quot;Provided that the clients... Already having an account based relationship with reporting entities prior to date of this notification, the client shall submit the Aadhaar number and PAN by December 31, 2017,&quot; the notification said. 
 
For companies opening bank accounts, Aadhaar number of managers, or employees holding an attorney to transact on the company&#39;s behalf will have to be provided.

So far, as per the PMLA Rules it is mandatory to provide PAN number or Form 60 to banks while opening of accounts or for high value transactions.

&nbsp;

The government has made quoting of the biometric Aadhaar card mandatory for opening of bank accounts and for financial transactions of Rs 50,000 and above

The government has made quoting of the biometric Aadhaar card mandatory for opening of bank accounts and for financial transactions of Rs 50,000 and above. Existing bank account holders have been asked to furnish the Aadhaar number by December 31, 2017, failing which the account will cease to be operational, according to a revenue department notification. The Aadhaar card is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India. The government has made linking of the Aadhaar number with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) compulsory in this year's budget to avoid individuals from using multiple PANs to evade taxes. A notification issued by the government amended the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005. The notification manded the quoting of Aadhaar along with the PAN or Form 60 by individuals, companies and partnership firms for all financial transactions of Rs 50,000 or above. After June 1, a person who does not have an Aadhaar number at the time of opening of account, will have to furnish proof of application of enrolment for Aadhaar and submit the Aadhaar number to the bank within six months of opening of the bank account. "In case the client, eligible to be enrolled for Aadhaar and obtain a PAN... Does not submit the Aadhaar number or the PAN at the time of commencement of an account based relationship with a reporting entity, the client shall submit the same within a period of 6 months from the date of the commencement of the account based relationship. "Provided that the clients... Already having an account based relationship with reporting entities prior to date of this notification, the client shall submit the Aadhaar number and PAN by December 31, 2017," the notification said. For companies opening bank accounts, Aadhaar number of managers, or employees holding an attorney to transact on the company's behalf will have to be provided. So far, as per the PMLA Rules it is mandatory to provide PAN number or Form 60 to banks while opening of accounts or for high value transactions.

Govt makes Aadhaar mandatory for opening bank accounts

Grabbing eyeballs with their bizarre way of protest, Tamil Nadu farmers on Saturday drank urine in another desperate bid to draw the government&#39;s attention towards their plight.

Over the last 39 days, they have shaved half of their moustache and head, kept mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves and carried skulls of other farmers, who had committed suicide due to debt pressure.

The farmers, whose protest entered the 40th day, drank urine even as police tried to stop them.

They have been demanding a loan waiver, a revised drought relief package and better support prices for their produce.

P Ayyakkannu, who is leading the protest, said: &quot;The Union government is not giving us water. So we are consuming urine.&quot;

The protesters had on Friday said they would drink urine if the Centre failed to offer a solution to their problems within a day.

On April 10, they had stripped in front of the prime minister&#39;s office here to press for their demands.

(PTI)

The farmers have been protesting in New Delhi for the last 40 days

Grabbing eyeballs with their bizarre way of protest, Tamil Nadu farmers on Saturday drank urine in another desperate bid to draw the government's attention towards their plight. Over the last 39 days, they have shaved half of their moustache and head, kept mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves and carried skulls of other farmers, who had committed suicide due to debt pressure. The farmers, whose protest entered the 40th day, drank urine even as police tried to stop them. They have been demanding a loan waiver, a revised drought relief package and better support prices for their produce. P Ayyakkannu, who is leading the protest, said: "The Union government is not giving us water. So we are consuming urine." The protesters had on Friday said they would drink urine if the Centre failed to offer a solution to their problems within a day. On April 10, they had stripped in front of the prime minister's office here to press for their demands. (PTI)

India: Protesting Tamil Nadu farmers now drink urine to grab government's attention

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre, asking it to file a reply within two weeks on the PIL filed by a person named Sharad Mishra, claiming that people are not being allowed to deposit their old currency notes till March 31 as promised by the ruling dispensation.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar also issued notice to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and sought a response on the same within two weeks.

The apex court asked the petitioner to show the documents whether he had visited the banks to deposit the old currency notes or not. Stating that this matter had nothing to do with demonetisation, the Supreme Court asked the petitioner to file a fresh application against the concerned bank.

&quot;Then we would likely to hear the matter again on April 11 and try to settle it,&quot; the apex court said.

The Centre had in its last hearing submitted before the apex court that instead of filing any reply they will argue the matter directly.

The apex court had earlier on March 6 issued notice to the government and RBI on the plea alleging that people are not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31 as promised.

The central bank had on December 31 designated its five offices - Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur -to exchange defunct currency notes post 50-day demonetisation period that ended on December 30.

(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi had originally said that would be the last deadline

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre, asking it to file a reply within two weeks on the PIL filed by a person named Sharad Mishra, claiming that people are not being allowed to deposit their old currency notes till March 31 as promised by the ruling dispensation. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar also issued notice to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and sought a response on the same within two weeks. The apex court asked the petitioner to show the documents whether he had visited the banks to deposit the old currency notes or not. Stating that this matter had nothing to do with demonetisation, the Supreme Court asked the petitioner to file a fresh application against the concerned bank. "Then we would likely to hear the matter again on April 11 and try to settle it," the apex court said. The Centre had in its last hearing submitted before the apex court that instead of filing any reply they will argue the matter directly. The apex court had earlier on March 6 issued notice to the government and RBI on the plea alleging that people are not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31 as promised. The central bank had on December 31 designated its five offices - Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur -to exchange defunct currency notes post 50-day demonetisation period that ended on December 30. (ANI)

Why can't people deposit old notes till March 31? Supreme Court asks govt, RBI

Rebutting the charge of Opposition parties that the annual federal budget was being deliberately presented ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the government said the federal budget was an annual constitutional exercise covering the entire country and not just a few states.

The federal government was replying to the Election Commission which had asked it to respond to a representation by opposition parties urging the poll panel to make the government postpone the budget till assembly polls are over, PTI reported.

The opposition had alleged that the budget would be used to woo voters in the poll-bound states.

The cabinet secretariat replied to the Election Commission today.

The government said that advancing the budget presentation was necessary as it would ensure that all budgetary provisions were allocated to different sectors from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal.

The budget is usually presented around the last week of February and, as a result, the approval of the budget spills over to the next financial year, delaying the start of new programmes, the government said.

The Budget Session has been convened from January 31 when the President will address the joint sitting of the two Houses. The federal budget and the Economic Survey are to be presented the next day.

The parliamentary committees have already been informed to study budgetary proposals in the recess period between February 10 and March 8, the government had said earlier.

It said that the government had made its intentions clear to advance the session in September last year and the federal cabinet had also cleared the proposal.

The opposition parties had written to the President and the Election Commission objecting to the presentation of the federal budget on February 1 ahead of the assembly elections and demanded that the government be asked to defer the annual exercise till March 8, the last day of voting.

A delegation of opposition parties comprising Congress, JD U(), BSP, SP, DMK and RJD had met chief election commissioner, Nasim Zaidi, on January 5, urging it to defer the budget presentation till March 8 at the least. 
 
Punjab and Goa go to polls on February 4 and the last phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur will be held on March 8.

(WION with inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

The opposition parties had alleged that the presentation of the budget was being pushed ahead to woo voters in the poll-bound states.

Rebutting the charge of Opposition parties that the annual federal budget was being deliberately presented ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the government said the federal budget was an annual constitutional exercise covering the entire country and not just a few states. The federal government was replying to the Election Commission which had asked it to respond to a representation by opposition parties urging the poll panel to make the government postpone the budget till assembly polls are over, PTI reported. The opposition had alleged that the budget would be used to woo voters in the poll-bound states. The cabinet secretariat replied to the Election Commission today. The government said that advancing the budget presentation was necessary as it would ensure that all budgetary provisions were allocated to different sectors from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal. The budget is usually presented around the last week of February and, as a result, the approval of the budget spills over to the next financial year, delaying the start of new programmes, the government said. The Budget Session has been convened from January 31 when the President will address the joint sitting of the two Houses. The federal budget and the Economic Survey are to be presented the next day. The parliamentary committees have already been informed to study budgetary proposals in the recess period between February 10 and March 8, the government had said earlier. It said that the government had made its intentions clear to advance the session in September last year and the federal cabinet had also cleared the proposal. The opposition parties had written to the President and the Election Commission objecting to the presentation of the federal budget on February 1 ahead of the assembly elections and demanded that the government be asked to defer the annual exercise till March 8, the last day of voting. A delegation of opposition parties comprising Congress, JD U(), BSP, SP, DMK and RJD had met chief election commissioner, Nasim Zaidi, on January 5, urging it to defer the budget presentation till March 8 at the least. Punjab and Goa go to polls on February 4 and the last phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur will be held on March 8. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Budget covers entire country, not few states: Indian Govt to election body on advancing budget date

India&#39;s interior minister Kiren Rijiju today said the southern state of Tamil Nadu may require extra security forces to handle law and order in case of chief minister J Jayalalithaa&#39;s demise. Rijiju said the central government is&nbsp;ready to put on standby&nbsp;forces to manage the situation &quot;whenever&quot; they are required.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa&#39;s health continues to be critical.&nbsp;

Rijiju said the central government cannot intervene in a state government matter, but was willing to send extra forces to Tamil Nadu if it asked&nbsp;for it.

&quot;They haven&#39;t asked formally,&quot; Rijiju said, adding that the state has a significant number of central forces.

&quot;If there is a law and order situation, the central government is always willing to send extra forces. It is our primary duty to ensure that the state is being helped in whatever possible way they require.

&quot;Because of the prevailing health condition of the chief minister (Jayalalithaa), they may require extra forces, which the home (interior) ministry will be ready to be put on standby, whenever, and whatever they require,&quot; the minister said.

Indian minister for information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu said he spoke to Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and chief secretary and enquired about Jayalalithaa&#39;s health.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Minister Kiren Rijiju said while the central government cannot intervene in state matters, all help will be extended

India's interior minister Kiren Rijiju today said the southern state of Tamil Nadu may require extra security forces to handle law and order in case of chief minister J Jayalalithaa's demise. Rijiju said the central government is ready to put on standby forces to manage the situation "whenever" they are required. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's health continues to be critical. Rijiju said the central government cannot intervene in a state government matter, but was willing to send extra forces to Tamil Nadu if it asked for it. "They haven't asked formally," Rijiju said, adding that the state has a significant number of central forces. "If there is a law and order situation, the central government is always willing to send extra forces. It is our primary duty to ensure that the state is being helped in whatever possible way they require. "Because of the prevailing health condition of the chief minister (Jayalalithaa), they may require extra forces, which the home (interior) ministry will be ready to be put on standby, whenever, and whatever they require," the minister said. Indian minister for information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu said he spoke to Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and chief secretary and enquired about Jayalalithaa's health. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Will send more security forces if needed, Indian interior minister tells southern state Tamil Nadu

The government will soon make injectable contraceptives available to the public by introducing it in medical colleges and district hospitals, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

&quot;Yes. The government proposes to make injectable contraceptives available to the public.

&quot;It has been decided to introduce it in a phased manner starting from medical colleges, district hospitals followed by sub district hospitals, Community Health Centres and subsequently to Primary Health Centres,&quot; Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply.

She said that the current budgetary allocation to ensure sustained attention to quality of contraceptive care is Rs 77665.45 lakhs (USD 113.5 million).

Replying to another question, she said that new interventions have been made by the government in family planning.

The current basket of choice has been expanded to include the new contraceptives like injectable contraceptive, centchroman and progesterone Only Pills (POP).

She said that the packaging for condoms, OCPs and ECPs has now been improved and redesigned so as to influence the demand for these commodities.

Other interventions include developing a 360 degree media campaign to generate contraceptive demand while the sterilisation compensation scheme has been enhanced in 11 high focus states.

She said that the scheme for home delivery of contraceptives by ASHA&#39;s workers at doorstep of beneficiaries has been expanded to the entire country.

(PTI)

Scheme for home delivery of contraceptives at doorstep of beneficiaries too has been expanded to the entire country

The government will soon make injectable contraceptives available to the public by introducing it in medical colleges and district hospitals, the Lok Sabha was informed today. "Yes. The government proposes to make injectable contraceptives available to the public. "It has been decided to introduce it in a phased manner starting from medical colleges, district hospitals followed by sub district hospitals, Community Health Centres and subsequently to Primary Health Centres," Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply. She said that the current budgetary allocation to ensure sustained attention to quality of contraceptive care is Rs 77665.45 lakhs (USD 113.5 million). Replying to another question, she said that new interventions have been made by the government in family planning. The current basket of choice has been expanded to include the new contraceptives like injectable contraceptive, centchroman and progesterone Only Pills (POP). She said that the packaging for condoms, OCPs and ECPs has now been improved and redesigned so as to influence the demand for these commodities. Other interventions include developing a 360 degree media campaign to generate contraceptive demand while the sterilisation compensation scheme has been enhanced in 11 high focus states. She said that the scheme for home delivery of contraceptives by ASHA's workers at doorstep of beneficiaries has been expanded to the entire country. (PTI)

Injectable contraceptives will be available soon: Indian Government

Tax department has unearthed Rs 32,000 crore through searches in last three fiscals and found that use of black money is rampant in sectors like real estate and educational institutions, government said today.

&quot;The data indicates that the main sectors in which black money is rampant include real estate, finance, trading, manufacturing, educational institutes and services,&quot; Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

During 2015-16, the I-T Department conducted 445 searches which discovered undisclosed income of Rs 11,066 crore. Total assets seized were Rs 712.68 crore.

Also 545 searches conducted in 2014-15 have led to admission of undisclosed income worth Rs 10,288 crore. Total assets seized amounted to Rs 761.70 crore.

Besides, 569 searches in 2013-14 saw admission of undisclosed income of Rs 10,791.63 crore and asset seizure of Rs 807.84 crore.

This takes the total undisclosed income which was admitted during searches to Rs 32,146 crore.

Analysis of the searches by the Income Tax department during the last three financial years indicates that the persons searched were involved in multiple activities in varied sectors, Gangwar said.

He said the government has taken several measures to effectively tackle the issue of black money. These include prohibition of acceptance of payment/advance of Rs 20,000 or more in cash, enactment of benami transaction law and mandatory quoting of PAN for transaction above Rs 2 lakh.

In reply to another question in the Lok Sabha, Gangwar said that between April and October, the Enforcement Directorate registered 109 cases under FEMA involving Hawala transactions.

During 2015-16, 138 such cases were registered under FEMA, while in 2014-15 it was 104 and in 2013-14 it was 75. &quot;The above cases may include a few cases relating to illegal activities and terrorism also,&quot; Gangwar said.

(PTI)

During 2015-16, the I-T Department conducted 445 searches which discovered undisclosed income of Rs 11,066 crore (USD 1616 million)

Tax department has unearthed Rs 32,000 crore through searches in last three fiscals and found that use of black money is rampant in sectors like real estate and educational institutions, government said today. "The data indicates that the main sectors in which black money is rampant include real estate, finance, trading, manufacturing, educational institutes and services," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. During 2015-16, the I-T Department conducted 445 searches which discovered undisclosed income of Rs 11,066 crore. Total assets seized were Rs 712.68 crore. Also 545 searches conducted in 2014-15 have led to admission of undisclosed income worth Rs 10,288 crore. Total assets seized amounted to Rs 761.70 crore. Besides, 569 searches in 2013-14 saw admission of undisclosed income of Rs 10,791.63 crore and asset seizure of Rs 807.84 crore. This takes the total undisclosed income which was admitted during searches to Rs 32,146 crore. Analysis of the searches by the Income Tax department during the last three financial years indicates that the persons searched were involved in multiple activities in varied sectors, Gangwar said. He said the government has taken several measures to effectively tackle the issue of black money. These include prohibition of acceptance of payment/advance of Rs 20,000 or more in cash, enactment of benami transaction law and mandatory quoting of PAN for transaction above Rs 2 lakh. In reply to another question in the Lok Sabha, Gangwar said that between April and October, the Enforcement Directorate registered 109 cases under FEMA involving Hawala transactions. During 2015-16, 138 such cases were registered under FEMA, while in 2014-15 it was 104 and in 2013-14 it was 75. "The above cases may include a few cases relating to illegal activities and terrorism also," Gangwar said. (PTI)

Black money rampant in educational institutions, real estate: Indian Government

In a reply to the opposition in India, the BJP said that the government was eager to hear Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s &quot;scholarly&quot; arguments on demonetisation.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also spoke about the Congress&#39; poor show in by-poll results, which were announced yesterday. Instead of forming a&nbsp;human chain outside the Parliament they should produce a &quot;chain of speakers&quot; inside and start a debate, he said.

&quot;The government is very keen to hear Rahul Gandhi&#39;s scholarly arguments. Rajya Sabha witnessed a debate on November 17 and Congress leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma besides BSP&#39;s Mayawati spoke. What happened now that they are running away from a debate. They realise that the country is not appreciating their arguments,&quot; DNA reported Prasad as saying.

Meanwhile, there were reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.&nbsp;

Prasad said that over Rs 7 lakh crores have been deposited in banks and it may lead to lower interest rates and other benefits to the masses.

Opposition parties today came together to protest against demonetisation outside Parliament, with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi describing it as the world&#39;s &quot;biggest impromptu financial experiment&quot; and said they are firm on their demand for a JPC probe into the &quot;scam&quot;.

&quot;Our demand is that PM represents the country and he should come to Parliament and sit through the entire debate and hear us out and the other opposition leaders,&quot; Gandhi said.

&quot;We feel there is a scam behind this decision. We feel he informed his own people before and the opposition is firm that it wants a JPC,&quot; he said.

He added that the decision has hit the fishermen in Bengal and Kerala and other places.

(WION with inputs from DNA)

&nbsp;

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today lashed out at the opposition saying it should debate in Parliament instead of protesting outside

In a reply to the opposition in India, the BJP said that the government was eager to hear Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's "scholarly" arguments on demonetisation. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also spoke about the Congress' poor show in by-poll results, which were announced yesterday. Instead of forming a human chain outside the Parliament they should produce a "chain of speakers" inside and start a debate, he said. "The government is very keen to hear Rahul Gandhi's scholarly arguments. Rajya Sabha witnessed a debate on November 17 and Congress leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma besides BSP's Mayawati spoke. What happened now that they are running away from a debate. They realise that the country is not appreciating their arguments," DNA reported Prasad as saying. Meanwhile, there were reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Prasad said that over Rs 7 lakh crores have been deposited in banks and it may lead to lower interest rates and other benefits to the masses. Opposition parties today came together to protest against demonetisation outside Parliament, with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi describing it as the world's "biggest impromptu financial experiment" and said they are firm on their demand for a JPC probe into the "scam". "Our demand is that PM represents the country and he should come to Parliament and sit through the entire debate and hear us out and the other opposition leaders," Gandhi said. "We feel there is a scam behind this decision. We feel he informed his own people before and the opposition is firm that it wants a JPC," he said. He added that the decision has hit the fishermen in Bengal and Kerala and other places. (WION with inputs from DNA)

Demonetisation: Government ready to hear 'scholarly arguments' of opposition

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